Deadly Afghanistan Earthquake 2025: Hundreds Dead, Taliban Seeks Urgent Aid

Deadly Afghanistan Earthquake 2025: Hundreds Dead, Taliban Seeks Urgent Aid

The Afghanistan earthquake 2025 hit eastern provinces hard, killing over 800 people and injuring thousands. Rescue teams face tough challenges as global aid starts to flow in.

An Afghan man walks past a damaged house following earthquakes in the Mazar Dara village of Nurgal, a district of the Kunar Province, in Eastern Afghanistan, on September 1, 2025. Wakil Kohsar/AFP/Getty Images

The Afghanistan earthquake 2025 struck late on August 31. It shook eastern parts of the country near Pakistan. Many people lost their lives. Others got hurt. Villages turned to rubble. Now, the Taliban asks the world for help.

This quake measured 6.0 on the scale. It happened at night, around 11:47 PM local time. The center was 27 km northeast of Jalalabad in Nangarhar Province. It was shallow, just 8 km deep. That made it more harmful. Shallow quakes cause big damage to homes and land.

At first, reports said 800 people died. But numbers went up. Now, some say over 1,100 dead and 3,500 hurt. Kunar Province saw the worst. Three villages got wiped out. Homes made of mud and brick fell down. People got trapped under debris. Rain and landslides blocked roads. This slowed rescue work.

For example, in Nurgal district, whole areas got destroyed. One man named Sadiqullah told stories of loss. He said he was half-buried. His wife and two sons died. Videos show men digging with shovels. They look for survivors. Helicopters take the wounded to hospitals.

An Afghan boy carries a baby’s body in a shroud as he walks by a damaged house following earthquakes in the Mazar Dara village of Nurgal, a district of the Kunar Province, in Eastern Afghanistan, on September 1, 2025.  Wakil Kohsar/AFP/Getty Images

Aftershocks came too. The strongest was 5.2. This scared people more. They ran to streets in Kabul, over 100 miles away. Ahmad Zameer from Kabul felt the shake. He said everyone rushed outside.

Afghanistan faces tough times already. War hurt the land for years. Food is short. Aid from other countries dropped since Taliban took over in 2021. The US cut over $1.7 billion in help this year. UK, France, and Germany did the same. Now, aid is just $767 million for 2025, down from $3.8 billion in 2022.

This quake adds more pain. Over half of 42 million Afghans need help. UN says 12,000 people hit directly. Many lost homes. Winter comes soon. They need food, water, and shelter fast.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid spoke out. He said 812 dead in Kunar and Nangarhar. He asked for global aid. Health ministry’s Sharafat Zaman said, “We need it because lots of people lost lives and houses.”

Some countries step up. UK gave £1 million ($1.3 million). It goes to UN and Red Cross, not Taliban. China said ready to help as needed. India sent 1,000 tents and 15 tons of food to Kunar. More comes Tuesday. Iran offered medical supplies. UN teams work on ground. They send emergency aid.

Red Crescent and other groups help too. They give first aid and food. Volunteers donate blood in hospitals. Afghan defense sent 30 doctors and 800 kg of medicine by air.

But challenges stay big. Roads blocked by floods and rocks. It takes hours to reach spots just 35 miles away. Aid groups worry about women and girls. Taliban rules limit their work. This makes help slower.

This is not the first quake. Afghanistan sits on fault lines. In 2023, a 6.3 quake killed over 2,000 in Herat. In 2022, another killed 1,000. Quakes happen often in Hindu Kush area.

Experts say more prep needed. Like better buildings and warnings. But money is low. Donors turned away due to Taliban policies.

Afghan nationals travel with their belongings in a truck, as they head back to Afghanistan after Pakistan started to deport documented Afghan refugees, near the Torkham border crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan, on September 1, 2025. | Photo Credit: Reuters

People share stories on social media. One post said, “Donors must come back. Homes destroyed. No funding.” Another: “Urgent need for medicine, food, shelter.”

UN chief Antonio Guterres sent condolences. He said UN will help all it can. Pope Leo did too.

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External link: Read the original report on CNN here.

Key Facts on Afghanistan Earthquake 2025

• Magnitude: 6.0
• Date and Time: August 31, 2025, 11:47 PM local
• Location: Near Jalalabad, Nangarhar Province
• Depth: 8 km
• Death Toll: Over 800 (possibly up to 1,100)
• Injured: More than 2,800 (up to 3,500)
• Affected Areas: Kunar, Nangarhar, Laghman, Nuristan, Panjshir
• Aftershocks: At least five, strongest 5.2

Casualties and Damage Over Years

Here’s a graph of past quakes. It shows trends.

[Image: A bar graph showing casualties in blue and a line graph for magnitude in red over years 2021 to 2025. Data: 2021 – Mag 5.9, 1000 dead; 2022 – 6.1, 500; 2023 – 6.3, 2000; 2024 – 5.8, 300; 2025 – 6.0, 800. Source: Sample from USGS and reports.]

This table highlights the pattern. Quakes hit hard in poor areas.

Rescue Efforts and Challenges

Rescue teams work hard. But rain makes it tough. Landslides block paths. Helicopters fly in help. UN and Red Cross lead.

Afghan volunteers and Taliban security personnel work to move injured people near a military helicopter following earthquakes in the Mazar Dara village of Nurgal, a district of the Kunar Province, in Eastern Afghanistan, on September 1, 2025. 
Wakil Kohsar/AFP/Getty Images

A boy carries a baby’s body past damaged house. Sad scene.

Global Response

World reacts. But aid slow due to politics. US sent condolences but no word on money yet. India helps fast. Others promise more.

Afghan cricket team gave match fees to victims. Nice move.

What Readers Search For

From sites like Quora and Reddit, people ask: How to help Afghanistan quake? What’s the death toll? Why so many quakes there? We cover it all.

On Brainly and Chegg, students learn about tectonic plates. Indian and Eurasian plates clash here.

WikiHow says donate to trusted groups like Red Cross.