Afghanistan continues to grapple with the impact of frequent earthquakes. Another tremor was felt on Friday night, registering a magnitude of 5.0 on the Richter scale. This recent event marks the third significant earthquake in a short period, causing widespread panic among the population. Despite the intensity, there are no immediate reports of major damage or casualties.
This follows a devastating earthquake on Sunday, August 31st, which ravaged mountainous villages and led to the recovery of hundreds more bodies, bringing the death toll to over 2,200. The initial 6.0 magnitude quake triggered the collapse of homes and buried residents under rubble. The majority of casualties occurred in Kunar province, where residents typically reside in wooden and mud-brick houses along river valleys.
An assessment released by the Islamic Relief charity on Thursday indicated that approximately 98% of the buildings in the province were either damaged or destroyed. Aid agencies have emphasized the critical need for personnel and supplies to care for the survivors in the affected regions. One resident, Muhammad Israel, reported that the earthquake caused landslides, destroying his home, livestock, and belongings in Kunar. He described the harrowing experience of barely managing to extract his children from the area, noting that aftershocks continue, making it impossible to remain there.
On Thursday evening, a 5.6 magnitude earthquake struck Jalalabad in Nangarhar province, located south of the hardest-hit Kunar province. Fortunately, no immediate casualties or damage were reported. Israelis, who are residing in a UN medical camp in Nurghal, one of the most affected districts in Kunar, stated that the conditions are dire, with a lack of shelter and the need to live in the open. The initial estimates of the death toll were around 1,400 people. Taliban spokesperson Hamdullah Fitrat announced on Thursday that the death toll had risen to 2,205, with search and rescue operations still ongoing. Fitrat added that tents have been provided for people and that primary medical and emergency supplies are being distributed. Difficult terrain is hindering relief efforts. Taliban officials have deployed helicopters to assist survivors and transported army commandos via air.
Aid workers have reported that they are forced to walk for hours to reach villages that have been cut off due to landslides and rockfalls. A reduction in funding is also impacting relief efforts. The Norwegian Refugee Council stated that they have fewer than 450 staff in Afghanistan, compared to 1,100 staff in 2023 during the last major earthquake. The council has only one warehouse remaining and no emergency stock. Maysam Shafi, the council’s communications and advocacy advisor in Afghanistan, said that they would need to purchase supplies after receiving funding, which could take weeks, while people need them immediately. Shafi also mentioned that they have only $100,000 available for emergency response efforts, resulting in an immediate funding gap of $1.9 million.
Dr. Shamshair Khan, who is caring for the injured at the UN camp in Nurghal, noted that the sight of others’ suffering has worsened their condition. He stated that there is a lack of adequate medication and services, with people requiring more medicine and tents. They need food and clean water. These people are suffering greatly. The Qatari Minister of State for International Cooperation, Mariam bint Ali bin Nasser Al Misnad, arrived in Kabul on Wednesday to oversee the delivery of aid to the earthquake victims.
She is the first female minister to visit Afghanistan on a humanitarian mission since the Taliban came to power in 2021, and also the first high-ranking foreign official to visit after the earthquake. Aid organizations are describing this latest disaster as a crisis within a crisis. Afghanistan was already struggling with drought, a weakened economy, and the recent return of almost 2 million Afghans from neighboring countries.
