Kabul: A powerful earthquake measuring 6.0 in magnitude struck eastern Afghanistan late on Sunday night, causing widespread devastation across the provinces of Kunar and Nangarhar. The disaster has left at least 812 people confirmed dead and nearly 2,817 injured, with some international monitors suggesting the toll may have risen to more than 1,100 deaths and 3,500 injuries as rescue efforts continue.
Entire villages in Kunar’s Nurgal district, including Wadir, Shomash, Masud, and Areet, were flattened, with reports indicating that some communities lost as much as 90 percent of their population. Dozens of fatalities were recorded in Mazar-e-Dara, where nearly a hundred people were also injured. The quake, which struck near the volatile Hindu Kush range close to the Pakistan border, caused landslides that buried roads, isolating many areas and complicating rescue missions.
Taliban authorities have confirmed that helicopters and military teams have conducted around 40 evacuation flights, transporting more than 420 people, both dead and injured, to medical facilities. However, communication blackouts and blocked mountain passes have slowed the search for survivors, leaving hundreds still unaccounted for.
In the wake of the tragedy, the Taliban government has issued a direct appeal for international assistance. Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis is deepening as foreign aid has dropped sharply from $3.8 billion in 2022 to just $767 million this year due to donor concerns over governance and restrictions on women’s rights.
Several countries have already pledged support. India has dispatched tents and food supplies to the worst-hit regions, with additional shipments en route. China has promised relief according to Afghanistan’s needs, while the United Nations has begun coordinating emergency responses. The United Kingdom has announced £1 million in aid to be delivered through UN agencies and the Red Cross, avoiding direct coordination with the Taliban. The United States has extended condolences but has not yet confirmed any material assistance.
Afghanistan, which has suffered repeated earthquakes in recent years, remains highly vulnerable due to its mountainous terrain, fragile housing, and shallow seismic activity. The 2022 quake in the east killed nearly 1,000 people, while another in 2023 devastated parts of Herat province.
As of Tuesday, rescue workers continue to dig through rubble with limited resources, while thousands of displaced survivors face urgent shortages of shelter, food, and medical care. Humanitarian agencies warn that without swift international intervention, the death toll could climb further, and the crisis could spiral into one of the deadliest disasters the country has faced in decades.