Afganistan Devasted By Earthquakes

By Evan McFarland

Before midnight of Sept. 1, 2025, a 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck the eastern region of Afghanistan. The response to the earthquake by the Taliban government was hampered by a variety of factors.

The Nangarhar and Kunar provinces of Afghanistan were most affected by the quake. Including the numerous aftershocks that reached magnitudes of up to 5.6, roughly 3,000 people were killed, over 4,000 were injured, and 13,421 buildings were either destroyed or damaged. The quake was the second deadliest in Afghanistan’s recorded history.

One of the main reasons the quakes were so deadly was the weak infrastructure in the regions hit. Homes are built out of any combination of mud bricks, timber, or weak concrete, all of which are flimsy and not made to withstand massive earthquakes. As a result of this, entire villages were completely reduced to rubble. To make matters worse, due to the earthquake occurring in the middle of the night, most Afghans were inside their homes as they collapsed. These factors contributed to an immediately high death toll. 

The earthquake response was largely inadequate, leading to even more casualties. Eastern Afghanistan is very mountainous and difficult to traverse, which greatly hampered rescue efforts. Additionally, landslides, rockfalls, and floods also led to blocked terrain and further staggered rescue efforts. Notably, the only road to the epicenter of the earthquake was blocked by a landslide. Several communications towers were hit, which led to poor communication between rescue teams and affected areas. As medical personnel and rescue teams trudged through the terrain, more and more people were dying slow and painful deaths under the rubble. 

Afghanistan is one of the poorest countries in the world due to decades of war and international sanctions against the Taliban government. Additionally, humanitarian aid has also been greatly reduced in 2025, as the United States cut almost all of its aid to Afghanistan humanitarian projects, and the United Nations has cut 50% of aid to Afghanistan. As a result, the relief efforts and medical facilities were severely underfunded, also contributing to the high death toll. 

Despite not recognizing the Taliban government, aid has been offered from several neighboring countries, such as Iran and China. The U.N. quickly sent $5 million in aid, and the United Kingdom sent $1.35 million. The U.S., despite offering a statement of sympathy, did not send any aid.