On August 31, 2025, a powerful magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck the mountainous eastern provinces of Afghanistan, shattering lives and flattening entire communities in a matter of moments. In the weeks since, the world has watched as the magnitude of the devastation has come into focus, with a United Nations assessment revealing at least 2,200 deaths and up to 500,000 people affected—more than half of them children, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
The disaster’s epicenter lay in Nangarhar, Kunar, and surrounding provinces, where rugged terrain and remote settlements have made both rescue and relief efforts a daunting challenge. The quake and its subsequent aftershocks—some as strong as magnitude 5.6—have not only destroyed homes but also triggered landslides, blocking the region’s already precarious mountain roads. As Shannon O’Hara, Head of Strategy and Coordination for OCHA in Afghanistan, described to reporters from Jalalabad, “We saw families whose lives had been shattered just within a few minutes. The earthquake had destroyed their homes, their farms and their livelihoods, leaving them with absolutely nothing.”
Initial UN assessments found that 5,230 homes were destroyed and 672 damaged across 49 villages. But these numbers are likely only the tip of the iceberg. O’Hara explained that the UN has not yet been able to access the vast majority of the 441 villages believed to have been impacted, due to the treacherous conditions of the region’s roads. A 100-kilometre drive from Jalalabad to the worst-hit areas took aid workers more than six and a half hours, and in many cases, first responders have had to travel for hours on foot to reach survivors.
For the nearly 40,000 people confirmed to be directly impacted, and the hundreds of thousands more living in the quake’s shadow, the struggle is now one for basic survival. “The affected communities are struggling with basic survival,” O’Hara stressed. “With cholera endemic in the region and initial assessments indicating that 92 per cent of these communities are practicing open defecation, the potential for a cholera outbreak is alarming.” Families are sleeping in tents or under open skies, exposed to rain, cold, and the very real threat of disease. The lack of clean water and sanitation is a pressing concern, and the risk of preventable disease outbreaks looms large.
Humanitarian workers, already battling logistical nightmares, face another urgent responsibility: ensuring that the most vulnerable receive help first. Emergency responders have prioritized aid to women, children, and people with disabilities. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) estimates that 11,600 pregnant women have been affected by the destruction—this in a country already grappling with one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the region. “In Afghanistan, in recent years, women and girls have been pushed to the very margins of society and survival,” O’Hara said. “We know from previous earthquakes and other crises that women and girls always bear the heaviest burden.”
To address these challenges, OCHA and its partners are working to ensure that women are represented in health teams and that more female aid workers support distributions, alongside nutrition, psychosocial, and other counseling services. But the scale of need is immense, and the clock is ticking. As of September 8, 2025, UN agencies have managed to provide 43,000 victims with ready-to-eat meals, and are distributing tents, blankets, and sanitation kits to families in need. Yet, with heavy rains, the threat of further aftershocks, and the approach of winter snow—likely to block vital roads and isolate communities—the humanitarian effort is racing against time.
“If we don't act now, these communities may not survive the coming winter,” O’Hara warned. “Additional funding is urgently needed.” OCHA has already released $10 million for life-saving supplies and is finalizing an emergency response plan. Without immediate support, she cautioned, “the weeks ahead risk compounding this tragedy with preventable disease outbreaks, further displacement and additional loss of life.”
On the ground, aid workers are going to extraordinary lengths to reach those in need. According to OCHA, reaching some affected villages requires navigating a narrow, one-way road perched on the mountainside—often blocked by large rocks from landslides and crowded with vehicles. The journey from Jalalabad, the region’s main urban center, to the hardest-hit areas is not only slow but perilous. “Even before the earthquake, these villages were difficult to reach,” O’Hara noted. “Now, with the earthquake, it takes extraordinary effort to get there.”
Despite the obstacles, the international response has begun to gather momentum. On September 8, 2025, a new consignment of more than 35 metric tonnes of life-saving medical supplies landed in Kabul, part of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) emergency response. This brings the total of prepositioned and delivered emergency health supplies to nearly 80 metric tonnes since the disaster struck. The cargo, mobilized through WHO’s logistics hub in Dubai, includes trauma and emergency surgery kits, primary health care kits, noncommunicable disease kits, and essential medicines. These supplies are being dispatched to health facilities and mobile health teams operating in the hardest-hit areas, guided by ongoing needs assessments.
Yet, as the days pass and the initial shock gives way to the grim realities of recovery, the challenges remain formidable. OCHA’s teams have managed to reach 49 damaged villages, but with over 400 more still largely inaccessible, the true scale of the devastation may not be known for weeks. Aftershocks continue to rattle the region, further complicating access and assessment efforts. The UN has warned that the death toll could rise as more bodies are recovered from remote and isolated communities.
For Afghanistan—a nation already beset by decades of conflict, economic hardship, and political uncertainty—this earthquake is a fresh wound on an already battered landscape. The international community’s response in the coming weeks and months will be critical, not only to help survivors endure the immediate aftermath but to give them a fighting chance to rebuild their lives. “We are appealing to the world to respond to earthquake victims’ urgent need for support not only to survive today, but to have the strength to rebuild their lives tomorrow,” O’Hara urged from the field.
As winter approaches and the risk of further tragedy mounts, the fate of hundreds of thousands hangs in the balance. The world’s attention—and its aid—will determine whether these communities can find hope amid the rubble.