Kunar and Nangarhar Provinces, Afghanistan,September 2(HS):

A powerful 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan late Sunday night, claiming over 800 lives and injuring nearly 2,800 people, according to Taliban officials and multiple international agencies. The quake’s epicenter was located near Jalalabad in Nangarhar province, with the quake's devastating impact felt most acutely in the mountainous and remote provinces of Kunar and Nangarhar, where entire villages have been razed, and hundreds of homes destroyed.

The region’s challenging terrain, coupled with blocked roads from landslides and recent flash floods, has severely hampered rescue efforts. Helicopters have been deployed to evacuate the injured and transport relief workers to inaccessible areas. With mobile networks down and communication limited, accurate assessments remain difficult, and officials fear the death toll may rise as rescuers reach more isolated communities.

The disaster compounds Afghanistan’s existing humanitarian crises, worsened by international aid cuts since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021. The Taliban government has urgently appealed for international assistance, highlighting the nation’s limited resources and the mounting difficulty in providing adequate relief. UN agencies, including UNICEF and the World Food Programme, are actively mobilizing emergency aid, supplying medical teams, hygiene kits, shelter materials, and food to the affected.

In a show of solidarity, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences and pledged humanitarian aid, while Pakistan’s Interior Minister also conveyed support for assistance in affected areas. The United Nations’ human rights and refugee agencies have underscored the gravity of the calamity, calling for urgent donor support amid compounded challenges including drought, forced migrant returns, and ongoing poverty, with approximately 85 percent of Afghans living below the poverty line.

Afghanistan’s seismic activity, particularly in the Hindu Kush mountain range near tectonic plate boundaries, has historically resulted in high-magnitude earthquakes devastating communities with vulnerable infrastructure. This event marks the third major earthquake to cause significant casualties since the Taliban assumed power, underscoring the urgent need for robust disaster preparedness and sustained international aid in Afghanistan.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar