Afghanistan Earthquake Leaves Over 2,200 Dead in Eastern Provinces

Afghanistan Earthquake Leaves Over 2,200 Dead in Eastern Provinces

The Shaking and Immediate Aftermath

At 11:47 PM local time on August 31, a shallow 6.0 magnitude quake ripped through the foothills of eastern Afghanistan. The Afghanistan earthquake hit just 27 km northeast of Jalalabad, the capital of Nangarhar province, and its epicenter was pinpointed in the tiny town of Mazar Darah. At a depth of only eight kilometres, the tremor sent shockwaves through the rugged terrain, causing landslides that buried roads and snapped off entire villages.

Four provinces bore the brunt: Nangarhar, Kunar, Laghman and Nuristan. In Kunar, the death toll surged fastest; whole hamlets were reduced to piles of mud and stone. Over 5,400 homes were either flattened or seriously damaged, and traditional mud‑brick houses collapsed like cards. Residents described the scene as “nightmare‑like,” with people digging by hand through rubble, calling out for loved ones whose voices were swallowed by the dust.

Medical personnel, including Dr. Abdul Mateen Sahak of the World Health Organization, were thrown from beds as the ground roared. “I immediately thought about Herat,” he recalled, referencing the 2023 quakes that killed 1,300 people. The memory reinforced the sense that another massive humanitarian emergency was underway.

Survivors like 33‑year‑old Abdullah, who lost 17 family members, voiced raw grief on social media: “I don’t want your money, your food, water, or shelter. Nothing. Just send me air support to carry these bodies down to flat ground so I can bury them.” His plea highlighted a painful truth—no amount of supplies can replace the loss of entire families.

Rescue Operations and Ongoing Crisis

Rescue teams faced a nightmare of blocked mountain passes, broken bridges, and spotty phone coverage. Helicopters were dispatched from Jalalabad and Asadabad to airlift the critically injured, while heavy‑duty equipment tried to reopen the main arteries. Yet, many remote settlements remained isolated, with aid workers forced to trek four to five hours on foot to reach survivors.

• Twenty emergency assessment teams were sent to the most affected districts.
• CARE Afghanistan’s Graham Davison reported that vehicles were abandoned as teams navigated treacherous slopes.
• The British Red Cross highlighted that recent floods and landslides compounded rescue difficulties.

International assistance arrived, but it was hampered by shrinking donor budgets. Since the Taliban’s return to power, aid from the United States, Britain, France and Sweden has been scaled back, leaving a thin safety net for the already vulnerable population. Afghan Red Crescent volunteers, alongside NGOs, focused on distributing food, clean water, health kits, and mental‑health counseling. Special attention was given to women‑headed households and to creating safe spaces for women amid cultural constraints.

Long‑term needs are massive. With winter approaching, displaced families require shelters that can withstand harsh cold. Livelihoods that depended on agriculture or small‑scale trade have been wiped out, demanding reconstruction programs and cash assistance. Coordination remains a puzzle as poor communications force humanitarian agencies to rely on radio and satellite updates, often delayed by aftershocks and further landslides.

While the world watches the death toll climb, the real challenge lies in restoring a sense of normalcy to communities that have been flattened, both physically and emotionally. The quake has underscored Afghanistan’s isolation and fragility, turning a natural disaster into a catalyst for deeper humanitarian distress.