Eastern Afghanistan Earthquake Kills Over 250: Families, Communities, and Livelihoods in Ruins

In Kabul, Afghanistan, more than 200 people have been killed and at least 500 injured after a powerful earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan, leaving behind a trail of collapsed homes, shattered livelihoods, and profound grief. The tremor, one of the deadliest in recent years, not only exposed the fragility of Afghanistan’s infrastructure but also intensified the challenges already facing a country struggling under economic, political and humanitarian crises. According to officials, the 6.0-magnitude tremor, centered just outside the bustling trade city of Jalalabad in Nangarhar province near the Pakistan border, struck at 11:47 p.m. local time at a shallow depth of just 8 kilometers (5 miles), a factor that intensified the destruction.

Authorities say the worst damage occurred in Kunar province, particularly in the districts of Nur Gul, Soki, Watpur, Manogi, and Chapadare, where entire neighborhoods were reduced to rubble. Rescue teams, already stretched thin by limited resources, are working around the clock to pull survivors from collapsed homes.

Entire families have been buried under rubble, with many survivors left to mourn loved ones while searching for food, water, shelter, etc. In villages where households are the backbone of community life, the sudden loss of breadwinners and caregivers is tearing at the social fabric. Children have been orphaned and many elderly survivors, who rely on family support, now face abandonment. These communities where family bonds serve as the primary safety net, the psychological wounds may run deeper than the physical destruction.