Kunar, Afghanistan — A powerful 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan late Sunday, leading to a staggering increase in casualties. The Taliban government reported on Tuesday that the death toll has surpassed 1,400, with injuries to more than 3,000 individuals, as the devastation continued to unfold in Kunar province alone.
The temblor, which hit just before midnight, wreaked havoc in several provinces, flattening villages and trapping numerous residents beneath collapsed mud-brick and wooden structures. Rescue operations have faced significant challenges due to the region’s rugged terrain, prompting authorities to deploy commandos via helicopter to evacuate injured victims from areas that are otherwise inaccessible.
The earthquake’s epicenter, located near Jalalabad and close to the Pakistan border, was recorded at a shallow depth of only 8 kilometers, resulting in severe shaking and multiple aftershocks. Indrika Ratwatte, the United Nations’ resident coordinator for Afghanistan, pointed out that the timing of the quake coincided with nighttime, when many residents were asleep, making them vulnerable to the collapsing walls of their homes.
This region forms part of the seismically active Himalaya and Hindu Kush mountain ranges, where the convergence of the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates has historically resulted in destructive earthquakes. Afghanistan has experienced a series of devastating seismic events, including another earthquake that claimed over 1,500 lives in October 2023.
Unlike more urbanized settings where building codes and engineering standards provide some protection, many homes in rural Afghanistan are constructed with local materials like mud and wood, often lacking any form of professional oversight. This construction method, known as monolithic style, is highly susceptible to the lateral movement caused by earthquakes, leading to catastrophic collapses that result in high casualty rates.
The earthquake is the third significant seismic event to afflict Afghanistan since the Taliban regained control of the country in 2021, compounding an ongoing humanitarian crisis characterized by declining international aid, economic instability, and the return of millions displaced from neighboring countries. The reduction in global assistance has severely hampered the response efforts, as non-governmental organizations face dwindling resources to aid affected communities.
According to Ratwatte, cuts to donor funding have led to the shutdown of approximately 400 healthcare facilities, exacerbating the current humanitarian situation. Arthur Comon, deputy director of operations for the NGO Première Urgence Internationale, noted that fewer resources mean limited medical support is available in the hard-hit rural areas.
With the United States previously being the largest donor to Afghanistan but now significantly scaling back its contributions, local organizations and international aid agencies are scrambling to address immediate needs amidst a backdrop of declining support. “This earthquake is a crisis within a crisis,” Ratwatte remarked, highlighting the compounded challenges facing the already vulnerable population.
As rescue efforts continue and humanitarian responses are mobilized, the people of Afghanistan are left grappling with the devastating toll of yet another tragedy, while the world watches as disaster response efforts unfold against a backdrop of political and economic instability.