Hundreds of Afghan families left homeless after a 6.3-magnitude earthquake in northern provinces face a freezing winter with limited aid and collapsing humanitarian support.

Hundreds of families in northern Afghanistan are enduring dire conditions after last week's 6.3-magnitude earthquake destroyed homes and villages across Balkh and neighboring provinces.

According to Agence France-Presse, survivors are spending nights in tents or relatives' homes, fearful of the approaching sub-zero temperatures as winter rapidly closes in.

The quake, centered in Khulm district of Balkh province, killed at least 27 people and caused widespread destruction in rural areas already battered by poverty.

Heavy rains have turned dirt roads into mud traps, complicating rescue efforts and delaying the delivery of vital relief to remote mountain communities.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and other humanitarian agencies warned that severe funding cuts by donor nations have crippled their capacity to respond effectively.

A recent IOM assessment found that 77 percent of displaced survivors lack the means to relocate and intend to remain in devastated areas despite looming dangers.

With forecasts predicting temperatures plunging to minus 20 degrees Celsius, aid groups fear a surge in cold-related deaths unless emergency shelters and heating supplies arrive soon.

The disaster adds to Afghanistan's growing humanitarian crisis, with the UN warning that nearly 24 million Afghans already depend on aid - a situation worsened by funding shortfalls.

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