A powerful magnitude 6 earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan on Monday, unleashing devastation across Kunar and Nangarhar provinces. The tremor, followed by a 5.5 aftershock, leveled villages, destroyed homes, and buried families under rubble.
Afghan officials confirmed that at least 1,450 people have been killed, while thousands more remain injured. Rescue teams, many of them working with limited resources, continue to dig through collapsed structures in search of survivors. Authorities fear the death toll may rise as many remote communities remain cut off.
The disaster has also displaced tens of thousands of people, with survivors left without shelter, food, or clean water. Makeshift camps have sprung up in open areas, as families struggle to cope with the widespread destruction.
The United Nations has warned that humanitarian resources are running dangerously low. “Afghanistan was already facing a severe aid shortfall, and this disaster only compounds the crisis,” a U.N. spokesperson said, urging the international community to provide emergency assistance.
Global aid agencies have pledged support, but relief efforts are hampered by difficult terrain, poor infrastructure, and ongoing security concerns in the region.
The quake is among the deadliest in Afghanistan’s recent history, adding yet another layer of hardship to a country already grappling with economic collapse, hunger, and political instability.