A catastrophic 6.0-magnitude earthquake that struck eastern Afghanistan on August 31 has left a trail of destruction, with a United Nations assessment revealing 5,230 homes destroyed and 672 damaged across 49 villages. However, the UN has been unable to reach 362 other remote villages due to damaged roads and ongoing aftershocks, raising fears that the death toll, already at 2,200, could climb as more bodies are recovered, according to Shannon O’Hara, coordination chief for the UN humanitarian office in Afghanistan.

The quake, centered in the rugged and mountainous Nangarhar and Kunar provinces, has affected up to 500,000 people, over half of them children, including forcibly returned Afghans from Pakistan and Iran. O’Hara, speaking via video from Jalalabad, described a grueling 6.5-hour journey to the epicenter, navigating a single-lane mountain road blocked by landslide debris. “We saw families fleeing, carrying what little they could, some still in clothes from the night of the quake,” she said, noting the worsening devastation closer to the epicenter, with entire villages obliterated and the stench of dead animals pervasive.

Survivors face dire conditions, with many living in crowded tents or under open skies, exposed to rain and cold as winter looms. O’Hara warned of a looming cholera outbreak, as 92% of affected communities lack sanitation and rely on open defecation, with no access to clean water. “The needs are overwhelming—clean water, food, tents, latrines, and warm clothing,” she said, highlighting the urgency as flash floods, further landslides, or early snows could isolate communities further.

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The UN is set to launch an emergency funding appeal on Tuesday to support survivors, with O’Hara emphasizing that time is critical before winter snows cut off access by late October. Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities have led search and rescue efforts without major obstructions, and the UN has ensured women are included in health and aid distribution teams, countering restrictions on female activities.

The crisis, compounded by aftershocks ranging from 5.2 to 5.6, underscores the challenges of delivering aid in Afghanistan’s remote terrain, with fears growing for the survival of communities still out of reach.

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