Ottawa vows to help Afghans hit by deadly earthquake as aid groups call out aid rest

OTTAWA — Ottawa says it’s ready to help Afghans in the wake of a deadly earthquake, even as one organization warns that Canada is making it hard to reach those living under Taliban rule.

The Taliban government says more than 1,400 people died and more than 3,000 were injured when the earthquake hit eastern Afghanistan on Sunday.

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Canada’s Secretary of State for International Development Randeep Sarai says the news is “heartbreaking” and Ottawa is “ready to support the Afghan people with our humanitarian partners.”

Afghans have been struggling with hunger and disease since governments blocked financial ties to the Taliban regime that took over the country in August 2021, and since many countries lowered their funding for United Nations agencies.

Asma Faizi, head of the Afghan Women’s Organization in Toronto, says these conditions have left Afghans vulnerable to natural disasters like this weekend’s earthquake.

Canada allows for humanitarian aid in Afghanistan but strictly limits development work under terrorism legislation, which Faizi says will hold back efforts to help Afghans rebuild.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 2, 2025.

Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press