UN Responds to Deadly Earthquake in Afghanistan

“I stand in full solidarity with the people of Afghanistan after the devastating earthquake that hit the country earlier today,” the Secretary-General said in an online message.

“I extend my deepest condolences to the families of the victims and wish a speedy recovery to those injured. The UN team in Afghanistan is mobilized and will spare no effort to assist those in need in the affected areas.”

On the ground, several UN agencies reported devastation across four eastern provinces of Afghanistan including Nangarhar and Kunar, where staff and humanitarian partners are already supporting relief efforts.

Hundreds of houses are believed to have collapsed in remote hillside communities, where many likely crumbled on top of each other, located on terraces further downhill.

“When an earthquake of this magnitude happens, the homes basically tumble on top of each other,” Salam Al-Jabani from the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) told A news. “And because it was so late at night, families were at home sleeping and that’s why we see such big losses.”

The UN Humanitarian Air Service has scheduled additional flights connecting Kabul and Jalalabad for personnel and cargo to scale up the response.

Trapped inside

witnesses reported that the earthquake happened around midnight local time, heightening fears that many Afghans may still be trapped under the rubble of their homes. UNICEF reported that many youngsters had been killed, as first responders said that poor phone and signal quality was impacting rescue and assessment activities.

The tremor’s epicentre is estimated to have been only around eight kilometres (six miles) underground, causing buildings to shake in the Afghan capital, Kabul, and in Pakistan’s capital city, Islamabad, according to reports.

Among those providing assistance are the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), coordinating efforts to assess the damage and deliver aid.