OCHA: Earthquake Directly Affects Over 12,000 Afghans
Tawazon – The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that a powerful earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan on the night of August 31 at around 11:47 PM local time. The quake, measuring 6.0 on the Richter scale, hit Kama district in Nangarhar province, with its epicenter near the city of Jalalabad. The earthquake’s depth, just 8–10 kilometers, significantly amplified its destructive impact on communities. Tremors were also felt in Kunar, Laghman, Nuristan, Kabul, and some cities in neighboring Pakistan.
Preliminary figures indicate that at least 800 people have been killed and approximately 2,000 others injured in Kunar, Laghman, Nangarhar and Nuristan provinces. Reports suggest that over 12,000 people have been directly affected. The hardest hit areas include Kunar’s Chawkay and Nurgal districts and Nangarhar’s Dara-e-Noor district. Landslides have blocked roads in some areas, making access difficult, with some communities reachable only after a three hour walk.
The Taliban authorities quickly launched rescue operations, evacuating the injured via helicopters to hospitals in Jalalabad and Asadabad, and deploying heavy vehicles to clear blocked roads. While some routes have reopened, several remote villages remain cut off.
The UN reports that urgent needs include emergency shelter, non-food items, medical supplies, clean water, and emergency food. Requests for rapid response funding have been made to the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), and aid distributin from the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund is underway.
Emergency relief efforts are already in progress. Tents, tarps, and blankets have been distributed, cash assistance assessments are ongoing, meals and energy food baskets are being provided, health services, including mobile medical teams, have been increased and clean water and hygien kits are being delivered.
The UN emphasizes that rapid and coordinated aid is critical to saving lives and preventing the humanitarian crisis from worsening.
