Just before midnight on September 1, 2025, as most residents slept, a powerful 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan, unleashing devastation across the provinces of Nangarhar and Kunar. According to the Taliban government’s interior ministry spokesperson, the quake’s epicenter was near Jalalabad, the capital of Nangarhar province, and it struck at 11:47 PM local time (12:47 AM Indian Standard Time), with a shallow depth of just 8 kilometers. That shallow depth, experts say, was a key factor in the destruction that followed.
Within moments, entire villages were reduced to rubble, roads collapsed, and panic swept through the region. The scale of the tragedy quickly became apparent. The Taliban government reported that at least 1,100 people had been killed, with more than 3,500 others injured—many of them critically. The death toll, officials warned, was likely to rise as rescue efforts continued and more bodies were recovered from the debris.
“Several villages have been completely destroyed, with homes reduced to rubble and people left homeless,” stated a Taliban government spokesperson, as reported by multiple outlets. The devastation was most severe in Kunar province, which borders Pakistan, but Jalalabad and the surrounding areas also suffered catastrophic losses. Landslides triggered by the quake stranded remote villages, making it nearly impossible for rescue workers to reach survivors in the crucial early hours.
Hospitals and clinics, already stretched thin, scrambled to treat the influx of wounded. The acting head of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent in Afghanistan told The New York Times that hospitals remained operational despite the chaos, but the sheer number of casualties threatened to overwhelm the region’s fragile healthcare system. “The injured are receiving treatment at nearby hospitals, clinics, and medical centres. Many are in critical condition, raising concerns that the death toll may rise further,” the Taliban spokesperson added.
The timing of the earthquake could hardly have been worse for Afghanistan. The country is already facing a web of overlapping humanitarian crises. According to the United Nations, more than half of Afghanistan’s 42 million people are in urgent need of aid. Aid organizations warn that the situation is likely to deteriorate as winter approaches, especially with over two million Afghans recently returning from neighboring Pakistan and Iran, compounding the strain on resources.
“Aid organizations are bracing for a painful winter amid dwindling funds and the return of more than two million Afghans from neighboring Pakistan and Iran,” reported The New York Times. The earthquake’s destruction has only intensified these challenges, leaving thousands homeless and vulnerable as temperatures begin to drop.
In the immediate aftermath, international response was limited. Only a handful of countries—including Iran, India, Japan, and the European Union—offered relief assistance to Afghanistan’s Taliban-led government. Political complications, as well as concerns over the Taliban’s human rights record, have hampered broader international engagement. Still, for those affected by the quake, any help is welcome.
India was among the first nations to step up. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences and pledged “all possible support.” India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar spoke directly with Afghan Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi to coordinate assistance. Within days, India delivered 1,000 family tents and 15 tonnes of food supplies from Kabul to Kunar province via its diplomatic mission. Jaishankar also indicated that further relief materials would be sent, underscoring India’s commitment to helping Afghanistan in its hour of need.
“India delivered 1,000 family tents and 15 tonnes of food supplies from Kabul to Kunar via the Indian mission,” confirmed Indian officials. The swift response was noted by Afghan authorities and welcomed by survivors, many of whom had lost everything in the quake.
The European Union and Japan also pledged support, with the EU coordinating with humanitarian partners to assess needs and deliver emergency supplies. Iran, sharing a long border with Afghanistan, sent rescue teams and medical aid to affected areas in the east. However, the scale of the disaster far outstrips the resources currently available on the ground.
Recovery efforts have been complicated by the region’s mountainous terrain and the landslides triggered by the quake. Many villages remain cut off, with roads either destroyed or blocked by debris. Helicopters and rescue teams have struggled to reach these isolated communities, where survivors are in desperate need of shelter, food, and medical care.
“The earthquake caused landslides that stranded villages, complicating recovery efforts,” as reported by The New York Times and corroborated by Afghan officials. In some cases, entire communities have yet to be reached, raising fears that the true scale of the tragedy may not be known for days or even weeks.
For many Afghans, the earthquake is just the latest in a long series of hardships. The country’s economy remains in shambles, international aid has dwindled since the Taliban’s return to power, and millions of people face chronic food insecurity. The influx of returnees from Pakistan and Iran—many of whom have nowhere to go—has added another layer of complexity to the crisis.
Despite the daunting challenges, local and international aid organizations are doing what they can. Emergency shelters are being set up for those who have lost their homes, and food distributions are underway in the worst-hit areas. Medical teams are working around the clock to treat the injured, though supplies of medicines and equipment are running low.
The Taliban government, for its part, has called for more international assistance and emphasized the scale of the need. “The death toll has risen to 1,100 according to a spokesperson from the Taliban government’s interior ministry,” reported the BBC and other outlets. With thousands injured and many more left homeless, the government faces an enormous task in coordinating relief and recovery efforts.
For now, the focus remains on saving lives and providing immediate relief. But as winter approaches and the humanitarian situation grows more dire, Afghanistan’s earthquake survivors—and the country as a whole—will need sustained support from the international community to recover and rebuild.
As the dust settles in the mountains of eastern Afghanistan, the resilience of its people is once again being put to the test. The world is watching, and for those affected, every act of solidarity and assistance matters.
