Relief hampered by blocked roads and landslides
A strong magnitude-6 earthquake hit eastern Afghanistan late Sunday, killing more than 800 people and injuring roughly 2,500, Taliban authorities reported. Rescue efforts are being slowed by landslides and damaged roads, leaving many remote mountain villages cut off.
The tremor’s epicenter was near the Pakistan border, with Kunar province sustaining the most severe damage. Its shallow depth increased the level of destruction, while aftershocks continued into Monday, shaking Kabul, over 100 miles away.
Hospitals struggle to cope with casualties
Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said the death toll is expected to rise, as numerous victims remain trapped under rubble. Hospitals in Asadabad and nearby districts are overwhelmed with injured residents.
Rasheed Khan, a trader from Kabul whose family lived in Watpur village, lost his wife, three children, and two brothers. “I don’t know how many relatives are still buried under the debris,” he said.
Relief operations face major obstacles
Afghanistan’s defence ministry sent doctors and emergency supplies to Kunar, but many communities can only be reached by air due to landslides and blocked roads. Taliban officials have urged humanitarian organizations to provide urgent assistance, including medical teams, clean water, food, tents, and rescue equipment.
Afghanistan’s healthcare system, already fragile since the Taliban regained power in 2021, is struggling to handle the scale of the disaster. Jeremy Smith of the Red Cross described rescue work as extremely challenging due to the region’s remoteness and ongoing aftershocks.
Villages destroyed, many residents missing
Mud and stone homes were flattened throughout Kunar. In Masood village, nearly every household suffered casualties, with rescuers estimating up to 250 deaths. Laghman and Nuristan provinces also reported injuries, though comprehensive assessments are still underway.
Muhammad Aziz, a laborer from Nur Gul district, said ten of his relatives, including five children, were killed. “Every home has collapsed, and people are digging with their bare hands to reach those trapped,” he said.
International assistance begins
China has pledged disaster relief, and India has delivered food and tents to affected areas. The United Nations is preparing emergency aid, while Pope Leo expressed condolences for those who lost family members.
The earthquake comes amid Afghanistan’s ongoing humanitarian crisis, with economic collapse, mass returns of refugees from Pakistan and Iran, and widespread hunger leaving millions dependent on aid. The UN estimates over half of the country’s 42 million residents require humanitarian assistance.
Afghanistan lies along active fault lines in the Hindu Kush mountains, making it prone to powerful earthquakes. Last year, tremors in western Afghanistan killed over 1,000 people, and a magnitude-6.3 quake in October 2023 claimed thousands of lives, one of the deadliest natural disasters in recent Afghan history.
