A magnitude 6.0 earthquake recently struck northeastern Afghanistan’s Kunar province and surrounding areas, leaving over 1,000 dead or injured. Some mountain villages were flattened, and hundreds remain trapped under rubble. The U.S. Geological Survey reported the quake’s shallow depth at 8 km, with the epicenter northeast of Jalalabad; strong tremors were felt in Kabul and Islamabad.
The affected region in the Hindu Kush mountains has limited access, worsened by recent floods and landslides that have blocked roads, hindering relief efforts. The Taliban government said it has deployed doctors and supplies to the area and called on the international community for urgent support.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that at least four provinces were severely affected, though the full scale of damage is still being assessed. Rescue workers say some villages were nearly destroyed, with survivors forced to dig through rubble to find loved ones. Thousands of injured people urgently need medicine and professional care due to limited local medical facilities.
Experts note that Afghanistan lies along an active fault zone, with weak infrastructure and predominantly mud-brick housing prone to collapse. Multiple earthquakes over the past three years have each claimed over 1,000 lives, highlighting long-standing gaps in disaster preparedness and reconstruction. Reports also indicate that in some conservative areas, cultural practices prioritizing men in rescue efforts may delay aid for women, increasing humanitarian risks.