Rescue operations hampered by rugged terrain and landslides
A magnitude-6 earthquake shook eastern Afghanistan late Sunday, killing over 800 people and injuring roughly 2,500, according to Taliban authorities. Relief teams face significant challenges reaching affected mountain villages due to landslides and collapsed roads.
The tremor struck near the Pakistan border, with Kunar province suffering the most severe impact. Its shallow depth increased the level of destruction, and aftershocks continued into Monday, shaking Kabul more than 100 miles away.
Hospitals overwhelmed by victims
Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed that the death toll is expected to rise as many individuals remain trapped under debris. Hospitals in Asadabad and surrounding districts are inundated with injured residents.
Rasheed Khan, a trader from Kabul whose family lived in Watpur village, said he lost his wife, three children, and two brothers. “I don’t know how many relatives are still buried under the rubble,” he said.
Aid efforts face serious obstacles
The defence ministry dispatched doctors and emergency supplies to Kunar, but many villages can only be reached by air because of blocked roads and landslides. Taliban officials have requested urgent support from humanitarian organizations, including medical aid, tents, food, clean water, and rescue equipment.
Afghanistan’s health system, already weakened since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, is struggling to respond to the disaster. Jeremy Smith of the Red Cross said that the combination of the region’s remoteness and ongoing aftershocks has made rescue work especially hazardous.
Communities flattened, many still missing
Mud and stone homes were destroyed across Kunar. In Masood village, nearly every family suffered fatalities, with up to 250 people feared dead. Casualties have also been reported in Laghman and Nuristan provinces, though comprehensive assessments are still underway.
Muhammad Aziz, a laborer from Nur Gul, said ten of his relatives, including five children, were killed. “Homes have collapsed everywhere, and people are digging with their bare hands to recover the trapped,” he said.
International aid mobilized
China has pledged disaster relief, while India has delivered food and tents to the affected areas. The United Nations is preparing emergency assistance, and Pope Leo sent condolences to those who lost loved ones.
The quake comes amid a severe humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, with economic collapse, returning refugees from Pakistan and Iran, and widespread hunger leaving millions dependent on aid. The UN estimates that over half of the country’s 42 million residents require humanitarian support.
Afghanistan lies along active fault lines in the Hindu Kush mountains, making it vulnerable to earthquakes. Last year, tremors in western Afghanistan killed more than 1,000 people, and an October 2023 magnitude-6.3 earthquake claimed thousands of lives, one of the deadliest disasters in recent Afghan history.
