Eastern Afghanistan Earthquake Causes Over 800 Deaths; Taliban Government Requests International Aid

A 6.0 magnitude shallow earthquake in eastern Afghanistan has caused at least 800 deaths and injured another 2,800 people. The Taliban government has called for international aid to provide immediate support to the victims. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs stated that the U.S. government's suspension of foreign aid projects has severely impacted rescue efforts.

In the hardest-hit Kunar Province, large crowds of people are searching through rubble, with many houses completely collapsed and entire villages almost destroyed by the earthquake. Some are carrying injured individuals on stretchers, while others are being evacuated by helicopter. The Ministry of Defense said it has arranged about 40 flights to transport hundreds of casualties.

The disaster area is located in remote mountainous regions, where heavy rains in the past 48 hours have increased the risks of landslides and rockfalls. Many roads are impassable, and some rescue personnel have to trek to the sites on foot.

The earthquake occurred near midnight on Sunday local time, with the epicenter about 27 kilometers northeast of Jalalabad, the capital of Nangarhar Province, near the Pakistan border. The depth of the quake was only about 8 kilometers. A Taliban government spokesperson said the disaster is mainly concentrated in Kunar Province, and the final casualty figures are expected to rise further.

The Ministry of Public Health has requested international aid to provide immediate support to the victims and prevent the spread of diseases. The International Committee of the Red Cross and Red Crescent stated that the area urgently needs additional rescue personnel, medical supplies, food, and clean drinking water. The U.S. closed the International Development Agency earlier this year, cutting off foreign aid, and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said this has severely impacted the current rescue operations.

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy announced that the UK will allocate £1 million for disaster relief through the United Nations and the Red Cross, ensuring the funds do not fall into the hands of the Taliban government.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry expressed condolences for the significant casualties caused by the Afghanistan earthquake and stated that it will provide disaster relief assistance to the best of its ability. Neighboring countries' leaders, including Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, have extended condolences to Afghanistan.