KABUL, September 1, 2025 – A devastating 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan just before midnight, leaving a trail of destruction across the mountainous provinces of Kunar and Nangarhar. According to Taliban government officials, the quake has claimed at least 812 lives and left more than 2,800 people injured.
The earthquake’s shallow depth—estimated at around 10 km (6 miles) beneath the surface—exacerbated its destructive force. Entire mud-brick villages collapsed, burying families in rubble. The hardest hit areas include Kunar’s Nurgal district and parts of Nangarhar near Jalalabad, where crude housing and fragile infrastructure offered little protection.
Rescue operations have been severely hampered by Afghanistan’s rugged terrain and recent heavy rains, which triggered landslides and washed-out roads. Many affected communities remain isolated, reachable only by foot or helicopter.
In an urgent plea, the Taliban-led health ministry called for international assistance to bolster lifesaving efforts. Some 40 helicopter flights have already ferried 420 injured and deceased individuals to hospitals, but officials warn that access to the most remote areas remains nearly impossible.
Survivor accounts paint a harrowing picture: one man described being rescued from beneath his collapsed home after hours buried in rubble, while others spoke of hearing “children, the elderly, young people” all trapped under debris, crying for help.
Beyond the immediate devastation, the quake has intensified long-standing humanitarian crises in Afghanistan—from chronic food insecurity to forced returns of refugees from neighboring countries. UN officials, including the High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, emphasized that this catastrophe builds on a cruel landscape made worse by drought and large-scale displacement.
The timing of this disaster is especially critical. Foreign aid to Afghanistan has plummeted—from $3.8 billion in 2022 to just $767 million in 2025—leaving aid organizations understaffed and underfunded. Restrictions on female aid workers and geopolitical hesitations further complicate the response.
International reactions are beginning to materialize. China and India have both pledged assistance: India has already dispatched 1,000 family tents and 15 tonnes of food to Kunar. Meanwhile, UN agencies, the Red Cross, and other humanitarian actors are calling for immediate supplies of medical aid, clean water, shelter, and road access restoration to reach cut-off communities.
