With little aid, Afghanistan’s quakes spell ‘inter-generational’ crisis

September 13, 2025

By ,  and 

Reuters

  • Quake destroys Afghan homes, livestock, livelihoods
  • Families shelter under tents as winter nears
  • UNDP claims 1.3 mln animals affected in quake
  • NRC: 7,000 livestock killed, irrigation damaged
KARACHI/BAMBA KOT, Afghanistan, Sept 11 (Reuters) – Earthquakes that flattened villages in eastern Afghanistan this month destroyed homes and livestock, the only assets owned by most families, leaving survivors with almost nothing to rebuild as aid runs thin.
At least 2,200 people were killed and more than half a million affected when a powerful earthquake struck the region on the night of August 31 followed by a series of strong aftershocks. The quakes have left tens of thousands of people homeless, with some fearing further landslides.

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“We only need one tent,” he said, adding that officials refused to register his damaged house as uninhabitable.
For many families in rural Afghanistan, homes, land and livestock are all they can call their own.
“In Afghanistan, households store wealth in homes, land and livestock, so when earthquakes destroy these assets, entire balance sheets collapse overnight,” said Jennifer Brick Murtazashvili, a professor at the University of Pittsburgh who specialises in governance in fragile states.
Stephen Rodriques, UNDP’s Resident Representative in Afghanistan, said more than 1.3 million animals were affected in the worst-hit Nangarhar and Kunar provinces, with grain stores and irrigation systems destroyed, threatening food supplies and the next planting season.
More than 7,000 livestock were killed and seven irrigation systems destroyed, with others damaged, according to the Norwegian Refugee Council.
“When those inputs vanish, you see less production, higher food prices and long-term harm to nutrition and health, especially for the poorest households,” said Ilan Noy, chair in the Economics of Disasters and Climate Change at Victoria University in Wellington.
“Without financing, the recovery will take much longer, and will create long-term cascades of consequences from this event that can continue for a very long time, possibly inter-generationally,” he said.

STRAIN UPON STRAIN

Taliban authorities say more than 6,700 homes were destroyed. Families remain in tents as aftershocks persist.
Thomas Barfield, author and president of the American Institute of Afghanistan Studies, said the coming winter would worsen the crisis and that decades of war and migration mean fewer relatives remain to help rebuild.
The quakes add gloom to an economy battered by sanctions, frozen assets and aid cuts since the Taliban takeover in 2021, while over 2 million deportations from Pakistan and Iran this year have further strained food and housing.
“Construction was a huge employer that disappeared after the Taliban takeover, the NGO sector is shrinking with aid cuts, and even the public sector is under strain,” said Ibraheem Bahiss of the International Crisis Group.
“Every year brings droughts and floods, and now earthquakes on top of that, compounding the tragedy Afghans face.”
The United Nations has appealed for $140 million in aid, but pledges lag as donors focus on Gaza and Ukraine and resist funding the Taliban because of its curbs on women aid workers.
Some aid has trickled in following the earthquake, from tents to food supplies, but it is not nearly enough, analysts said.
“Emergency aid is a wet towel in a forest fire, it won’t bridge the gap,” said Obaidullah Baheer, an adjunct lecturer at the American University of Afghanistan in Kabul. He warned that aid flows have already dropped steeply in a country reliant on them for two decades, and that “the real impact will only start to show next year.”

Reporting by Ariba Shahid in Karachi, Mohammad Yunus Yawar and Sayed Hassib in Bamba Kot, Afghanistan; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan

With little aid, Afghanistan’s quakes spell ‘inter-generational’ crisis
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UNICEF Appeals for $22m to Aid Children Affected by Afghanistan Earthquakes

September 11, 2025
Khaama Press

UNICEF has launched a $22 million appeal to aid over 212,000 children in eastern Afghanistan, providing healthcare, clean water, education, nutrition, and psychosocial support after devastating earthquakes.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has announced a $22 million humanitarian programme to meet the urgent needs of vulnerable children and families.

According to a UNICEF statement released on Wednesday, September 10, the initiative aims to reach 400,000 people over the next six months, including more than 212,000 children.

The aid package will provide emergency health services, safe drinking water, psychosocial support, nutrition programmes, and temporary education for children affected by the crisis.

UNICEF said that geographical challenges, weak infrastructure, and social restrictions continue to complicate the delivery of aid to remote and hard-to-reach areas.

The organisation stressed that ensuring equal access for women and girls remains a priority, with female health and social workers being deployed as part of the response.

In its appeal, UNICEF urged the international community to step up financial and logistical support quickly to ensure that families can access essential services before the onset of winter.

The programme highlights the urgent humanitarian situation facing children and families, while underscoring the importance of coordinated international action to prevent worsening conditions in the months ahead.

Humanitarian observers warn that without swift donor support, the gap in resources could leave thousands of families exposed to malnutrition, poor health, and harsh winter conditions.

UNICEF Appeals for $22m to Aid Children Affected by Afghanistan Earthquakes
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Bitter Return: Afghan Migrants Share Painful Tales of Forced Deportation

September 11, 2025
Sadaqat Ghorzang
TOLOnews Reporter
9 Sept 2025

Local officials say that every day, thousands of families are being deported through the Torkham crossing into Afghanistan.

With the launch of the third phase of the forced deportation of Afghan migrants from Pakistan, the process of returning Afghans has intensified.

Local officials say that every day, thousands of families are being deported through the Torkham crossing into Afghanistan.

Habibullah, who owned a hotel in Rawalpindi, Punjab province, now says that after decades of residence, he has lost all his property and business and was forcibly deported along with his family.

He says: “I had my own hotel and business, but the situation reached a point where dignity became the issue, and I lost everything. Both the hotel and the business are gone. We brought some of our belongings, but a lot was left behind. Dignity is important. Only we ourselves made it back.”

Currently, the living conditions for Afghans in Pakistan have become extremely difficult.

Other recently returned migrants also tell stories of sudden police raids, extortion, and forced detentions.

Khalid, one of the deportees, said: “Sometimes they would detain us, and other times they demanded money. We couldn’t go out to the streets or the markets. They had made life miserable for us.”

Umar Gul, another deportee, said: “They forced us a lot. We lived there for 45 years, but we never truly enjoyed life.”

Local officials in Nangarhar say the deportation of Afghan migrants from Pakistan has accelerated in recent days.

Bakht Jamal Gowhar, head of migrant repatriation at Torkham, said: “The returnees, after receiving assistance from the Islamic Emirate, are being transferred to various provinces of Afghanistan in coordination with partner organizations.”

Meanwhile, Pashtun nationalist parties and former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan have called for an end to the forced deportations of Afghans, but the Pakistani government continues the process at an even faster pace.

Bitter Return: Afghan Migrants Share Painful Tales of Forced Deportation
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Afghanistan quake destroyed 5,230 homes in 49 villages — but the UN hasn’t gotten to 362 others

September 10, 2025
By EDITH M. LEDERER
The Associated Press
September 8, 2025

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — An initial United Nations assessment of the impact of Afghanistan’s recent deadly earthquake found 5,230 homes destroyed and 672 damaged in 49 villages — but the U.N. hasn’t been able to get to the vast majority of the remote villages.

Shannon O’Hara, the coordination chief for the U.N. humanitarian office in Afghanistan, said Monday that damaged roads in the country’s rugged and mountainous east where the 6.0 magnitude quake struck have made it extremely difficult to assess the impact in the 441 affected villages. A series of aftershocks ranging from 5.2 to 5.6 in magnitude added to the difficulties, she said.

The earthquake struck on Aug. 31, killing at least 2,200 people, and that figure could rise as more bodies are recovered. The United Nations estimates the quake has affected up to 500,000 people, more than half of them children and some of them Afghans forcibly returned from neighboring Pakistan and Iran.

As an example of the difficulties the U.N. team has faced, O’Hara said it took her more than 6 1/2 hours to get from Jalalabad, the largest city near the quake area, to the worst-hit area roughly 100 kilometers away on the only road — a narrow, single-lane track carved into the mountainside blocked in places by large rocks from landslides.

Many vehicles, including trucks loaded with humanitarian aid, were trying to get up and down the valley to help, she said.

“As we drove towards the epicenter, we saw families walking in the opposite direction — displaced, carrying what little they could. Many were still wearing the same clothes from the night of the earthquake,” O’Hara said. “Mothers and fathers were carrying their children, some with fresh bandages covering their injuries.”

She said the devastation got worse as the U.N. team got closer to the epicenter, with entire villages destroyed and the overpowering smell of dead animals. Some families who have lost their homes and livelihoods were living in crowded tents, while many others were sleeping under the open skies, exposed to rain and cold.

“There was no clean drinking water and no sanitation, with cholera endemic in the region, and initial assessments indicating that 92% of these communities are practicing open defecation,” she said. “The potential for a cholera outbreak is alarming. “

O’Hara, who has been in the quake-affected region for five days, reported the initial assessment at a video press conference with U.N. journalists.

She said the needs are overwhelming — clean water, food, tents, latrines and warm clothing as the region nears the start of winter snows at the end of October.

In visits to three camps for displaced people on Monday, O’Hara said women in particular emphasized their need for clean water and adequate clothing for themselves and for their children.

She said time is of the essence. “Any day, rainfall could cause flash floods in the valleys” where camps for the displaced have been set up and ”additional aftershocks could cause more severe landslides, cutting off access to communities still living near the epicenter,” O’Hara said.

“And snow will cut off access to these mountain valleys,” she said. “If we don’t act now, these communities may not survive the coming winter.”

The United Nations will be issuing an emergency appeal Tuesday for desperately needed funding to help quake survivors, O’Hara said.

She said Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban authorities took the lead in search and rescue operations and there has been no major obstruction to humanitarian operations.

As for women and girls whose activities are drastically curtailed by the Taliban, O’Hara said she had not received any reports of women being left behind by male-only rescue teams, and the U.N. is ensuring that women are part of health teams and aid distribution operations.

Afghanistan quake destroyed 5,230 homes in 49 villages — but the UN hasn’t gotten to 362 others
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China Sends $7 Million Aid Shipment to Afghanistan’s Earthquake Victims

September 8, 2025

By Fidel Rahmati

Khaama Press
–

 

China has delivered its first $7 million aid consignment to Afghanistan, including 3,000 blankets and 350 tents, as survivors of the 6.1-magnitude quake urgently seek shelter.

A powerful 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck Kunar and neighboring eastern provinces of Afghanistan, destroying thousands of homes and leaving hundreds of families without shelter. The disaster has triggered urgent appeals for international help.

Responding swiftly, China dispatched its first shipment of emergency relief to Kabul on Sunday morning. The consignment, valued at $7 million, contains 3,000 blankets and 350 tents.

Local authorities confirmed that the supplies will be distributed promptly through responsible agencies to provide immediate shelter and relief to families affected by the destruction.

The Chinese Embassy in Kabul issued a statement declaring solidarity with the people of Afghanistan. Diplomats emphasized that this aid is part of Beijing’s wider commitment and pledged further assistance in the future.

While humanitarian relief continues to arrive from both domestic and international donors, experts stress that Afghanistan needs more than emergency aid. Long-term reconstruction and stronger infrastructure are vital to reduce vulnerability to future disasters.

The real challenge for Afghanistan lies in transforming urgent humanitarian assistance into sustainable recovery. Strengthening infrastructure and community resilience will be key to facing future calamities with greater security.

China Sends $7 Million Aid Shipment to Afghanistan’s Earthquake Victims
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Afghan Lives in the Wake of Disaster and Deportation

September 8, 2025
ByVaishali Basu Sharma
Khaama Press

 

On the night of August 31, eastern Afghanistan was struck by a powerful 6.0-magnitude earthquake with its epicenter near Jalalabad in Nangarhar province. The tremor, recorded at 11:47 p.m. local time, devastated the mountainous terrain, flattening villages and reducing thousands of homes to rubble. More than 1,400 people lost their lives, over 3,000 were injured, and countless families were displaced. The quake’s impact reverberated across South Asia, felt as far as Pakistan and India, highlighting the seismic vulnerability of the Hindu Kush region where tectonic plates frequently collide with destructive force.

The earthquake struck at a time of deep fragility for Afghanistan, a nation grappling with widespread poverty, prolonged drought, and the legacy of decades of conflict. The Taliban administration, still seeking to consolidate governance since its takeover in 2021, now faces a humanitarian emergency compounded by dwindling international aid and the arrival of large numbers of forcibly returned refugees. Rescue teams continue to struggle to reach remote villages near the Pakistan border, where mudbrick homes collapsed on steep slopes. Health ministry spokesperson Sharafat Zaman warned that casualty figures are expected to rise as efforts to access cut-off areas continue. Clinics and hospitals remain overwhelmed, with hundreds of injured already admitted.

While Afghanistan confronts the consequences of the earthquake, its burden is intensified by a parallel crisis across its borders. Pakistan has pressed forward with its “Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan,” targeting both undocumented Afghans and those with official documentation. The campaign affects more than 1.4 million refugees holding UNHCR-issued Proof of Registration (PoR) cards and around 800,000 with Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC). Despite repeated appeals from international bodies, including UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, Islamabad has maintained its deportation policy. A September 1 deadline required PoR card holders to leave voluntarily or face arrest and expulsion. In the days following, thousands of Afghans crossed border points such as Torkham, Chaman, and Spin Boldak. At Torkham alone, over 6,300 individuals with PoR cards returned in a single day, many to homes destroyed by the earthquake or to regions without infrastructure or support.

Reports from deportees describe widespread harassment, police raids, extortion, and repeated detentions. In cities like Islamabad, families fled in groups to avoid separation, with many born and raised in Pakistan now facing an unfamiliar and unstable homeland. Refugees have expressed fear and uncertainty as they return to areas where services are already stretched by disaster recovery efforts. Since April 2025, over 362,000 Afghans have returned from Pakistan, including more than 54,000 deportations. Arrests have surged in Balochistan and Punjab, straining both Afghan authorities and international humanitarian organizations. The earthquake has magnified this crisis, leaving many returnees without shelter, livelihoods, or basic assistance.

The Taliban administration has not directly opposed Pakistan’s decision but has called for a gradual approach, urging that returnees be given time to settle financial matters and collect belongings. Pakistani officials have denied systematic abuse but acknowledge challenges created by the scale and pace of the campaign. The United Nations has voiced strong concern. UNHCR spokesperson Qaiser Khan Afridi described the deportations as a violation of international obligations, warning that mass returns carried out under such conditions could destabilize Afghanistan further. Human rights advocates stress that women and girls are particularly vulnerable, given restrictions on education, employment, and mobility under the Taliban-led government.

The combination of natural disaster and mass deportation has left Afghanistan in a precarious situation. Each life lost in the earthquake represents not only a personal tragedy but also a blow to a population already enduring displacement, deprivation, and political isolation. The continuation of deportations during such a critical moment has drawn widespread criticism, with observers calling it both legally questionable and morally indefensible. Afghanistan’s overlapping crises demand urgent international attention, sustained humanitarian support, and a renewed commitment to protecting the dignity and rights of its people.

Afghan Lives in the Wake of Disaster and Deportation
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Afghan Lives in the Wake of Disaster and Deportation

September 8, 2025
ByVaishali Basu Sharma
Khaama Press

On the night of August 31, eastern Afghanistan was struck by a powerful 6.0-magnitude earthquake with its epicenter near Jalalabad in Nangarhar province. The tremor, recorded at 11:47 p.m. local time, devastated the mountainous terrain, flattening villages and reducing thousands of homes to rubble. More than 1,400 people lost their lives, over 3,000 were injured, and countless families were displaced. The quake’s impact reverberated across South Asia, felt as far as Pakistan and India, highlighting the seismic vulnerability of the Hindu Kush region where tectonic plates frequently collide with destructive force.

The earthquake struck at a time of deep fragility for Afghanistan, a nation grappling with widespread poverty, prolonged drought, and the legacy of decades of conflict. The Taliban administration, still seeking to consolidate governance since its takeover in 2021, now faces a humanitarian emergency compounded by dwindling international aid and the arrival of large numbers of forcibly returned refugees. Rescue teams continue to struggle to reach remote villages near the Pakistan border, where mudbrick homes collapsed on steep slopes. Health ministry spokesperson Sharafat Zaman warned that casualty figures are expected to rise as efforts to access cut-off areas continue. Clinics and hospitals remain overwhelmed, with hundreds of injured already admitted.

While Afghanistan confronts the consequences of the earthquake, its burden is intensified by a parallel crisis across its borders. Pakistan has pressed forward with its “Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan,” targeting both undocumented Afghans and those with official documentation. The campaign affects more than 1.4 million refugees holding UNHCR-issued Proof of Registration (PoR) cards and around 800,000 with Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC). Despite repeated appeals from international bodies, including UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, Islamabad has maintained its deportation policy. A September 1 deadline required PoR card holders to leave voluntarily or face arrest and expulsion. In the days following, thousands of Afghans crossed border points such as Torkham, Chaman, and Spin Boldak. At Torkham alone, over 6,300 individuals with PoR cards returned in a single day, many to homes destroyed by the earthquake or to regions without infrastructure or support.

Reports from deportees describe widespread harassment, police raids, extortion, and repeated detentions. In cities like Islamabad, families fled in groups to avoid separation, with many born and raised in Pakistan now facing an unfamiliar and unstable homeland. Refugees have expressed fear and uncertainty as they return to areas where services are already stretched by disaster recovery efforts. Since April 2025, over 362,000 Afghans have returned from Pakistan, including more than 54,000 deportations. Arrests have surged in Balochistan and Punjab, straining both Afghan authorities and international humanitarian organizations. The earthquake has magnified this crisis, leaving many returnees without shelter, livelihoods, or basic assistance.

The Taliban administration has not directly opposed Pakistan’s decision but has called for a gradual approach, urging that returnees be given time to settle financial matters and collect belongings. Pakistani officials have denied systematic abuse but acknowledge challenges created by the scale and pace of the campaign. The United Nations has voiced strong concern. UNHCR spokesperson Qaiser Khan Afridi described the deportations as a violation of international obligations, warning that mass returns carried out under such conditions could destabilize Afghanistan further. Human rights advocates stress that women and girls are particularly vulnerable, given restrictions on education, employment, and mobility under the Taliban-led government.

The combination of natural disaster and mass deportation has left Afghanistan in a precarious situation. Each life lost in the earthquake represents not only a personal tragedy but also a blow to a population already enduring displacement, deprivation, and political isolation. The continuation of deportations during such a critical moment has drawn widespread criticism, with observers calling it both legally questionable and morally indefensible. Afghanistan’s overlapping crises demand urgent international attention, sustained humanitarian support, and a renewed commitment to protecting the dignity and rights of its people.

Afghan Lives in the Wake of Disaster and Deportation
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Over 5,000 Tents Set Up for Earthquake Survivors in Kunar

September 8, 2025
Sadaqat Ghorzang
TOLOnews Reporter
7 Sept 2025

According to local officials, all basic necessities have been provided for survivors in these temporary camps.

More than 5,000 tents have been installed in temporary camps for the earthquake-affected people of Kunar province.

According to local officials, all basic necessities have been provided for survivors in these temporary camps.

Najibullah Hanif, head of Kunar’s Department of Information and Culture, said: “We have set up more than 5,000 tents for earthquake-affected families, and the process is still ongoing. More tents are being installed for them. We have two zones: one internal zone, where we have already set up tents for local residents, and another area where we want to relocate people. However, it is not yet clear how many will be relocated. For all those who have been moved, we have installed tents, activated camps, and provided all necessary supplies.”

Meanwhile, survivors are calling on the Islamic Emirate and aid organizations to provide not only shelter but also other essential assistance.

Taj Bibi, an earthquake survivor, said: “My husband was injured in the earthquake and is now hospitalized at Nangarhar Regional Hospital, but we still have no information about his health condition. Three of my children were killed, our home and rooms collapsed. The rooms fell on us, trapping us under the rubble. My children died there. Our house was completely destroyed.”

Fatema Bibi, another survivor, said: “We lost everything in the earthquake. Our rooms collapsed, and the entire area is mountainous. My request is that we be relocated to flat land. We are now living in tents, which is extremely difficult because winter is approaching, and life in tents during the winter is unbearable. We ask the institutions and the Islamic Emirate to build permanent homes for us.”

Ismail, a resident of Sawki district in Kunar province, lost six members of his family in last week’s deadly earthquake, while five others were injured.

Now living with his remaining family members in a temporary camp built by the Islamic Emirate, he said: “Six members of my family were martyred—my mother, two brothers, one niece, and two nephews. Five others were injured and are currently receiving treatment at Nangarhar Regional Hospital, but we have no information about their health condition.”

At the same time, representatives of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Afghanistan announced that $8 million USD is needed to rebuild shelters, establish temporary and permanent housing, construct roads, and provide renewable energy for affected families.

Over 5,000 Tents Set Up for Earthquake Survivors in Kunar
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Kunar Earthquake Survivors Face Deep Psychological Trauma

September 8, 2025
Sadaqat Ghorzang
TOLOnews Reporter
6 Sept 2025

The continuous aftershocks have disrupted and made daily life difficult for residents of Deh-e-Gul valley in the Suki district.

Sadaqat Ghorzang, a TOLOnews reporter who has been in Kunar since the earthquake struck, says that many survivors of last week’s deadly quake are grappling with severe psychological problems.

The continuous aftershocks have disrupted and made daily life difficult for residents of Deh-e-Gul valley in the Suki district.

Naqibullah, a Kunar earthquake survivor, said: “My father and mother were killed. When the earthquake struck, our house collapsed on us, and now my mind no longer works.”

Ajab Gul, another survivor, said: “Even now, there are tremors. Every time I recall that scene, I feel like it was only a dream. This has caused me serious psychological distress, and my mental state is very poor.”

Akhtar Mohammad, a resident of Suki district in Kunar, lost 17 members of his family in the deadly earthquake last Sunday evening, while he and his two brothers were injured.

He says that the memories of his lost loved ones return to him constantly, leaving him deeply traumatized.

Akhtar Mohammad, a Kunar earthquake survivor, said: “In this earthquake, we had two wounded and 17 martyrs, my brothers and sisters. Now, when I walk and move, I feel as if I am dreaming. I am suffering from psychological problems.”

Local officials say that rescue operations in Deh-e-Gul valley of Suki district have concluded, while aid distribution continues through special committees.

Ziaulhaq Hamid, Kunar’s police chief and head of the Deh-e-Gul rescue committee, said: “Rescue operations in Deh-e-Gul, Suki district of Kunar, have been completed. The wounded were transferred properly, all the martyrs have been buried, and since the third morning after the quake, the aid delivery process has continued. For this, we have set up a central committee in Deh-e-Gul, along with four additional committees.”

Local authorities added that residents of affected areas have been relocated to temporary camps to prevent potential threats and ensure security.

Kunar Earthquake Survivors Face Deep Psychological Trauma
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Afghan survivors struggle in the wake of deadly earthquake

September 8, 2025
Al Jazeera
Published On 6 Sep 2025

More than 2,200 deaths recorded as southeast Afghanistan grapples with aftermath of a powerful magnitude 6.0 earthquake.

In the mountains of southeast Afghanistan, whole villages have been reduced to piles of stone and mud.

Nearly one week after a devastating earthquake struck Kunar province, residents are mourning their families and figuring out how they can possibly survive, having lost everything.

A magnitude 6.0 tremor struck the remote mountainous region last weekend, killing more than 2,200 people.

“The victims face only two choices, to leave, or die,” Al Jazeera’s Ali Hashem reported from Kunar province, the epicentre of the quake.

Following the earthquake, strong aftershocks were reported on Friday, injuring at least 10, and raising fears of more death and destruction.

Survivor Gul Rahim from Kunar province lost 63 members of his family in the quake, including his five-year-old daughter Fatima.

“We were asleep at home when, at midnight, the earthquake struck. All the houses collapsed and everyone was screaming,” he told Al Jazeera, sitting on the ruins of his home, with several bags of whatever belongings he could recover.

“I managed to get out, but my youngest daughter was trapped inside, crying, ‘Father, get me out of here!” By the time we reached her, she had passed away,” he said, his voice trembling with grief.

“She was my youngest and most beloved daughter.”

Rahim said another 100 or so of his neighbours were killed in the quake.

“The dead and injured were countless. The earthquake was terrifying, and leads people to despair,” he added.

The Majority of victims are from Kunar province, where most people live in wood and mud-brick homes built along steep river valleys surrounded by towering mountains.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said as of September 3, at least 6,700 homes have been destroyed.

Rahim told Al Jazeera he was now living in a tent, and was worried about winter approaching as the area receives “heavy snowfall”.

“What we need most are proper homes to survive the cold,” he said. “I call on the whole world, Muslims and non-Muslims alike, to help us. We have lost everything, even our livestock and chickens. Nothing remains.”

Rescue efforts continue

Treacherous roads, relentless aftershocks and limited aid mean many communities remain cut off.

“Getting here was a harrowing experience,” recounted Al Jazeera’s Hashem. “We were driving for hours on winding cliffside roads, with aftershocks shaking the ground beneath us until we finally made it.

While rescue workers were “working around the clock” in search of survivors, hope was fading, Hashem said. “The official death toll isn’t final, with so many still missing, the number will most certainly rise,” he noted.

WHO has said landslides and blocked roads have obstructed relief work. The organisation has appealed for $4m in funds to provide “life-saving health interventions” coupled with supporting “water, sanitation, and hygiene activities” for residents.

“They need food assistance, safety, and medicine for the children,” volunteer Abdulrahman Sharafat told Al Jazeera.

Afghanistan is prone to powerful earthquakes because it sits where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates meet. In October 2023, the western province of Herat experienced a magnitude 6.0 earthquake, resulting in more than 2,000 deaths.

A year earlier, a magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck the eastern provinces of Paktika, Paktia, Khost, and Nangarhar, killing about 1,000 people.

Source: Al Jazeera and news agencies
Afghan survivors struggle in the wake of deadly earthquake
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