In the wake of one of the deadliest earthquakes to strike Afghanistan in decades, a humanitarian crisis is unfolding across the country’s eastern provinces. Just before midnight on Sunday, September 1, 2025, a magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck, followed by a relentless series of aftershocks—two of which, within just 12 hours, sent shockwaves of fear and destruction through already devastated communities. The death toll, as reported by a Taliban spokesperson, has climbed to 2,205, with more than 3,700 injured as of early September, according to multiple sources including Reuters and AFP.
The initial quake and its aftershocks have flattened villages, particularly in Kunar, Nangarhar, and Laghman provinces, where more than 6,700 homes have been destroyed. Many survivors, traumatized by the ongoing tremors, have chosen to stay outdoors—huddled in tents or makeshift shelters on higher ground—rather than risk returning to homes that could collapse at any moment. "Everyone was afraid. We are still afraid and have not returned to our homes," said Enamullah Safi, a resident of Nuristan province, to AFP, describing the harrowing nights spent under blankets in the cold mountain air.
Rescue and relief efforts have been hampered by the region’s formidable geography. Landslides and debris have blocked key roads, cutting off access to some of the hardest-hit villages. Aid organizations have struggled to reach those in need, with the World Health Organization (WHO) warning that these obstacles, combined with a funding gap of at least $4 million, threaten to delay critical activities. "A funding gap of at least $4 million threatens to delay critical activities, underscoring the urgent need for international support," WHO declared in a public statement.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has released $10 million in emergency funds to address urgent needs for food, water, shelter, and other lifesaving provisions. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has sent emergency relief items worth $4.5 million to assist over 5,000 households in Kunar and Jalalabad, according to UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric. Yet, as Kate Carey, deputy head of OCHA for Afghanistan, told Reuters: "We have some seed funding, but we are looking to make a flash appeal." The UN has warned that its resources for quake victims are running low and is planning an emergency appeal for additional funds.
Amidst the devastation, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) estimates that more than 11,600 pregnant women have been directly impacted by the disaster. Afghanistan already has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the Asia Pacific region, making the situation especially dire for expectant mothers. "For pregnant women, a natural disaster can turn an already challenging time into a life-threatening crisis," said Kwabena Asante-Ntiamoah, UNFPA’s representative in Afghanistan. UNFPA continues to operate around twenty health clinics in the affected areas, striving to provide essential care and prevent further loss of life.
The challenges extend beyond immediate physical injuries and shelter. The WHO has raised alarms about the risk of disease outbreaks, citing overcrowded shelters, unsafe water sources, and inadequate waste management. The influx of Afghans deported from neighboring Pakistan and Iran is further straining the fragile healthcare infrastructure. The UN health agency warned that without swift international assistance, the risk of communicable diseases could become a secondary crisis for survivors.
The Taliban government, which made an urgent appeal for international aid soon after Sunday’s disaster, has received only modest relief from the global community. Since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, Afghanistan has found itself largely isolated, with many countries cutting off or drastically reducing aid. This has left millions—already battered by years of war, drought, and poverty—exposed and vulnerable.
Adding to the turmoil, the United Nations refugee chief has called on Pakistan to pause its ongoing expulsions of Afghan nationals in the aftermath of the earthquake. However, Pakistan’s government rejected this appeal on September 5, 2025. "Any people with no documentation should leave. This is what Pakistan is doing and what any other country will be doing, including in Europe and other countries… it is our territory, we decide who stays in," a foreign ministry spokesperson asserted during a press briefing. The continued deportations threaten to swell the numbers of internally displaced people in Afghanistan, compounding the nation’s humanitarian woes.
The destruction wrought by the earthquake is only the latest in a series of natural disasters and crises affecting the region. In neighboring Pakistan, monsoon flooding in the north has impacted 1.5 million people and killed nearly 900, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The agency noted that high temperatures and accelerated glacier melt have exacerbated the situation, with warnings issued as recently as August 30, 2025, about the potential for more catastrophic flooding.
Beyond Afghanistan and Pakistan, the world is grappling with other acute humanitarian and health emergencies. In Haiti, gender-based violence has reached alarming new heights, with over 6,200 incidents reported in just the first seven months of 2025. The UN has highlighted that rapes accounted for nearly half the cases, with armed groups responsible for 62 percent. The vast majority of survivors are adult women, but "one in seven survivors is a child, a girl under 18," according to UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric. Humanitarian agencies have provided medical care, psychological support, legal aid, and emergency shelter to nearly 20,000 people, but the needs far outstrip available resources. Out of the $19 million required for prevention and response to gender-based violence in Haiti, only 18 percent has been received.
There is, however, some progress on the global health front. On September 5, 2025, the World Health Organization updated its model lists of essential medicines, adding new breakthrough treatments for cancer, diabetes, and obesity. These revised lists guide procurement and coverage decisions in more than 150 countries and now include 523 medicines for adults and 374 for children. "The new editions of essential medicines lists mark a significant step toward expanding access to new medicines with proven clinical benefits and with high potential for global public health impact," said Dr. Yukiko Nakatani, WHO Assistant Director-General for Health Systems, Access and Data. The additions come as cancer remains responsible for nearly 10 million deaths a year, and diabetes and obesity affect more than 800 million and 1 billion people worldwide, respectively. Still, WHO cautioned that high prices remain a barrier for many, urging countries to prioritize those most in need and to promote generic competition.
As Afghanistan’s survivors brace for more aftershocks and the world’s attention is pulled in many directions, the urgent need for humanitarian aid, international solidarity, and sustained support has never been clearer. The earthquakes have exposed not only the fragility of Afghanistan’s infrastructure but also the immense cost of shrinking resources for vital humanitarian work. For those living under tents in the cold mountains, waiting for help to arrive, the coming weeks will be a test of both resilience and global resolve.