Catastrophic Impact and Rising Casualties
A devastating 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck southeastern Afghanistan near Jalalabad just before midnight on Sunday, killing at least 1,411 people and injuring over 3,100, according to Taliban officials. The shallow depth of 10 kilometers amplified destruction, flattening entire villages built with mud-brick materials ill-suited for seismic activity. By Tuesday, the death toll was expected to rise as rescuers reached isolated mountain communities in Kunar and Nangarhar provinces, where over 5,400 homes were destroyed and thousands remained trapped under rubble. A 5.5 magnitude aftershock on Tuesday triggered additional landslides, further hampering rescue operations and spreading panic among survivors.
Rescue Challenges in Remote Terrain
Mountainous terrain, damaged roads, and ongoing aftershocks severely impeded rescue efforts. Taliban authorities air-dropped commandos to evacuate injured individuals from areas inaccessible by helicopter, while locals used shovels and bare hands to dig through debris. The World Health Organization noted that over 12,000 people were directly affected, with damaged infrastructure and landslides complicating aid delivery. The U.N. warned of exponential casualty increases due to the region’s remoteness and the pre-existing fragility of Afghanistan’s health system, which relied entirely on external actors even before the disaster.
Humanitarian Crisis and International Response
The earthquake exacerbated Afghanistan’s existing humanitarian emergency, where half the population requires aid amid drought and drastic funding cuts. Humanitarian aid plummeted from $3.8 billion in 2022 to $767 million in 2025, partly due to Taliban policies restricting women’s rights and aid work. While Britain pledged £1 million, the U.S. offered condolences but no immediate aid, reflecting broader donor fatigue. The Taliban appealed for international assistance, but political isolation limited response capacity.
Historical Context and Vulnerability
Afghanistan’s location at the intersection of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates makes it prone to severe earthquakes. This disaster marks the third major quake since the Taliban’s 2021 takeover, following 2022 and 2023 events that each killed over 1,000 people. The cumulative impact of natural disasters, combined with war, poverty, and aid reductions, has left communities with saturated resilience. The U.N. emphasized that funding for Afghanistan’s Humanitarian Response Plan stood at only 28%, jeopardizing long-term recovery.