ISTANBUL 

China said Thursday it will provide nearly $7 million in relief after a strong earthquake caused severe devastation in Afghanistan, according to the Global Times

Li Ming, spokesman for the China International Development Cooperation Agency, said Beijing will provide 50 million yuan ($6.9 million) in emergency humanitarian aid, mainly including tents, blankets and food, which are urgently needed in disaster-hit areas.

His remarks came as the death toll from Sunday’s powerful earthquake in eastern Afghanistan surpassed 2,200, along with heavy property losses.

Australia also announced to provide 1 million Australian dollars ($650,000) to support people of Afghanistan after the deadly earthquake.

In a statement, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Australia’s assistance will be directed through the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund (AHF), led by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

According to Wong, Canberra has provided over 260 million Australian dollars (about $170 million) to the ongoing crisis in Afghanistan since 2021, with a particular focus on women and girls.

Hamdullah Fitrat, deputy spokesman of the interim administration, said on the US social media company X that deaths rose to 2,205, while the number of injured hit 3,640, in Kunar province.

Authorities in Kabul fear that the death toll may climb as they share data from the provinces of Nangarhar, Laghman, and Panjshir, which were also hit.

Humanitarian agencies warn that the scale of devastation requires urgent international support to prevent a worsening crisis.

Türkiye dispatched 25 tons of aid earlier this week, including shelter materials, hygiene kits and food boxes.

Pakistan has also sent 105 tons of aid, while Iran, China and India, as well as Western nations, have pledged to dispatch help.

The US Geological Survey recorded the quake at 11.47 pm local time (1917GMT), 27 kilometers (16.7 miles) east-northeast of Jalalabad at a depth of 8 kilometers (5 miles), when most residents were asleep.

It is the third major earthquake to hit the war-torn nation since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in 2021.  

*Islamuddin Sajid contributed to this story from Islamabad