An earthquake of devastating magnitude has wreaked havoc in Afghanistan, leaving more than 1,000 people dead and causing widespread destruction in the affected areas. The 6.3-magnitude quake struck the Herat province on Saturday, reducing entire villages to rubble and sparking a frantic search for survivors. Rescue efforts have been hampered by blocked routes and disrupted communication lines, delaying aid to the affected communities. The earthquake hit Zindajan, a rural district near Herat city, where nearly all homes have been completely destroyed, according to reports from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
The images emerging from the villages reveal a grim reality: houses, too fragile to withstand such a powerful quake, now reduced to mounds of debris. Among the ruins, resilient villagers are tirelessly digging through the rubble, hoping to find any signs of life. Many have been using shovels and their bare hands to rescue women and children trapped under the collapsed structures. However, more than 500 people are still missing, as confirmed by the United Nations (UN).
As the scale of the disaster became apparent, the Taliban government and aid agencies struggled to estimate the death toll and the number of missing persons. Given the remoteness of the affected villages, officials lacked population records, making it challenging to determine the precise figures. Moreover, the region is home to communities displaced by war and drought, further complicating the assessment of the affected population.
The injured, now numbering more than 1,600, have overwhelmed ill-equipped hospitals in the region. The Herat Regional Hospital, in particular, has seen a surge in patients, with medical teams from Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) working tirelessly to provide assistance. While most of the patients are non-emergency cases, many do not have homes to return to, forcing them to remain in the hospital until alternative housing arrangements can be made. The majority of those receiving treatment are women and children, highlighting the disproportionate impact of the earthquake on vulnerable populations.
In response to the urgent needs of the quake survivors, various aid agencies, including the Afghan Red Cross Society, MSF, World Food Programme, and UNICEF, have mobilized resources and dispatched assistance to the affected areas. However, the agencies stress that Afghanistan, already grappling with an economic crisis following the Taliban takeover in 2021, requires additional support. Direct aid to the government has been halted, exacerbating the financial strain on the country, and only a few countries have pledged funds for the recovery efforts. China’s Red Cross Society has offered $200,000 in emergency cash aid, but more assistance is desperately needed.
Afghanistan’s vulnerability to earthquakes is amplified by its geographical location, particularly in the Hindu Kush mountain range, which lies near the convergence of the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates. This latest earthquake is not an isolated incident but rather a recurring natural disaster for the Afghan population. Last year, the province of Paktika experienced a 5.9 magnitude quake, resulting in over 1,000 deaths and displacing tens of thousands of people. The frequency and severity of these earthquakes highlight the urgent need for disaster preparedness and infrastructure resilience in Afghanistan.
The devastating earthquake in Afghanistan serves as a reminder of the country’s ongoing struggles. Apart from the immediate impact on human lives and infrastructure, the disaster further compounds the socio-economic challenges faced by the Afghan people. As the international community responds to this crisis, it is crucial to provide significant and sustained support to assist with both emergency relief efforts and long-term recovery initiatives. Only by addressing the root causes of vulnerability and investing in resilience can Afghanistan begin to mitigate the devastating consequences of future natural disasters.
