In the night between 31 August and 1 September, a powerful magnitude 6 earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan. The epicentre was recorded between the provinces of Kunar and Nangarhar, not far from the border with Pakistan.

The death toll is devastating: according to local authorities, at least 800 people have died and more than 2,800 have been injured, but the figure is expected to rise. Many villages built with mud bricks and wood have been destroyed, and entire families have been left trapped under the rubble. Relief efforts are proceeding with extreme difficulty due to landslides, torrential rain and aftershocks that continue to strike the region.

Helicopters and military teams are evacuating hundreds of injured to makeshift hospitals, while the United Nations, the Red Cross and several NGOs have begun mobilising aid and personnel to deliver water, food and medical assistance. The Taliban government has issued an appeal to the international community, and neighbouring countries including India, Iran and China have offered their support.

The earthquake worsens the situation in a rural area already characterised by widespread poverty, where the majority of homes are not built to withstand seismic shocks — and where earthquakes turn into catastrophes.