UN urges states to set aside politics as it seeks $140 million for Afghanistan earthquake victims

By Emma Farge

GENEVA (Reuters) -The United Nations said on Tuesday it was seeking $139.6 million to help half a million people affected by earthquakes that struck eastern Afghanistan, and it urged donors to set aside any reservations about the Taliban authorities.

Afghanistan’s worst earthquake in years, which struck on the night of August 31 into September 1, killed more than 2,200 people and was followed by a series of powerful aftershocks. The quakes have left tens of thousands of people…