KABUL, Sept 1 – Afghanistan has been struck by one of its deadliest earthquakes in recent years, leaving more than 800 people dead and at least 2,800 others injured. The 6.0-magnitude quake struck just after midnight, shattering homes and cutting off remote villages in the eastern provinces of Kunar and Nangarhar. Rescue operations are still underway as helicopters and ground teams search for survivors trapped beneath the rubble of mudbrick homes that collapsed in the mountainous terrain.
Health ministry officials in Kabul confirmed the scale of the devastation and urged the global community to step forward with urgent humanitarian support. “We need international aid because so many families have lost everything, from their loved ones to their homes,” said Sharafat Zaman, spokesperson for the ministry. With Afghanistan already facing widespread humanitarian challenges, including reduced foreign assistance and mass displacement, the earthquake has added yet another layer of crisis to the war-torn nation.
Authorities reported that Kunar province bore the heaviest toll with around 610 deaths, where entire communities were leveled, while Nangarhar saw 12 fatalities. In Kunar, three villages were reduced to rubble, with widespread destruction reported across several nearby communities. Rescuers are struggling to reach remote communities along the border with Pakistan, where communications remain cut off. Military teams and medics have been deployed to the hardest-hit regions, and helicopters have been ferrying the wounded to hospitals in nearby towns and cities. According to the defense ministry, 40 flights have already carried 420 of the injured and deceased from the disaster zone.
The health ministry has mobilized all available teams to deliver relief, including medical care, food supplies, and shelter. Abdul Maten Qanee, a spokesperson for the ministry, stated that all available resources are being mobilized to speed up relief efforts. Yet despite these efforts, the scale of destruction has left local resources overwhelmed, and many victims are still waiting for aid.
For Afghanistan, this disaster is the third major earthquake since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. That same year, a powerful 6.1-magnitude quake struck the eastern region, killing around 1,000 people. Just two years ago, the western city of Herat was devastated by another tremor, and many communities there are still living in temporary shelters. These repeated disasters highlight the country’s vulnerability, as it sits in a seismically active zone where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates meet.
This latest disaster has placed an especially severe burden on the country’s finances. Since 2021, Afghanistan has faced a drastic reduction in foreign aid, with overall assistance dropping to about $767 million this year compared to $3.8 billion in 2022. Even humanitarian programs that bypass political channels to provide food, health, and shelter have been reduced. Aid organizations describe the situation as a “forgotten crisis,” with more than half of the country’s population estimated by the United Nations to be in urgent need of assistance.
Diplomats and aid workers say donor fatigue, combined with international frustration over restrictions on women, including limitations on female aid workers, has contributed to the steep decline in support. So far, Afghanistan’s foreign office has confirmed that no foreign government has formally reached out to provide rescue or relief operations. However, China has announced its readiness to provide disaster relief in line with Afghanistan’s needs and within its capacity.
International organizations have begun preparing to respond. The United Nations has pledged to assist those affected, with its mission in Afghanistan mobilizing to provide emergency aid. U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres expressed solidarity with the Afghan people, saying efforts are being made to support survivors in devastated regions.
At the disaster site, locals and volunteers joined security teams in rescuing people trapped under debris. In several villages, residents carried the wounded on improvised stretchers to reach ambulances. Helicopter footage showed widespread destruction in valleys dotted with collapsed homes, leaving survivors camped outside with little more than blankets and tents. With many villages built from mud and clay, structures stood little chance against the quake’s tremors.
Beyond the immediate rescue efforts, the longer-term challenge of recovery looms large. With thousands injured and countless homes destroyed, survivors face harsh conditions without adequate shelter, food, or medical supplies. Relief agencies warn that unless significant international aid arrives, the situation could deteriorate further in the coming weeks, particularly with many survivors exposed to the elements.