A catastrophic 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan late on August 31, 2025, killing at least 800 people and injuring over 2,500, according to Taliban government figures released on September 1. The quake, centered 27 kilometers east-northeast of Jalalabad in Nangarhar province at a shallow depth of 8 kilometers, devastated towns in Kunar province, reducing entire villages to rubble. The shallow depth amplified the destruction, with several aftershocks compounding the chaos, as reported by the U.S. Geological Survey.

In Nurgal district’s Mazar Dara, one of the hardest-hit areas, a resident described the scene to the Associated Press: “Children, elderly, young people are under the rubble. We need help here.” Desperate survivors clawed through debris with their hands, as blocked roads forced aid workers to trek four to five hours to reach isolated communities. Helicopter evacuations ferried the injured to hospitals, with dozens of flights operating from Nangarhar Airport.

Sadiqullah, a survivor from Mazar Dara, recounted a harrowing escape to the Associated Press from Nangarhar Hospital. Awakened by a “deep boom” like an approaching storm, he rescued three of his children but lost his wife and two sons when their mud-brick home collapsed, trapping him for hours. “It felt like the whole mountain was shaking,” he said. The Taliban’s chief spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, warned that the death toll could rise, as many villages remain inaccessible, with bodies still trapped under debris.

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The quake’s timing exacerbates Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis, already strained by drought and the forced return of 1.2 million Afghans from Pakistan and Iran in 2025, per a June UNHCR report. Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, urged global donors on X to support relief efforts, noting the disaster’s compounding effect on existing challenges. Sherine Ibrahim of the International Rescue Committee highlighted that 2,000 casualties were reported within the first 12 hours, warning that global funding cuts threaten the response capacity. The International Federation of Red Cross emphasized urgent needs for search and rescue, medical supplies, food, water, and road access restoration.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed solidarity on X, pledging support despite recent expulsions of Afghan refugees. The quake, felt as far as Islamabad, caused no reported damage in Pakistan. This disaster follows a 6.3-magnitude quake on October 7, 2023, which killed between 1,500 (UN estimate) and 4,000 (Taliban estimate), marking it as Afghanistan’s deadliest recent natural disaster. The International Rescue Committee fears the current crisis could “dwarf” the 2023 catastrophe, underscoring the urgent need for international aid to prevent further loss of life in this vulnerable region.

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