Powerful 6.3-magnitude earthquake devastates northern Afghanistan
The death toll from a strong earthquake that struck northern Afghanistan in the early hours of Monday rose to 27 on Tuesday, and national health officials reported a combined 953 injuries. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said the quake measured 6.3 and was centred near Kholm in Samangan province.
Videos shared online show the shaking lasting roughly 20 seconds, and the tremor was felt as far away as the capital, Kabul, and in neighbouring countries, triggering panic in many households.
Authorities said most of the fatalities occurred in Samangan and neighbouring Balkh provinces. Officials also confirmed deaths and damage in Baghlan, Kunduz, Sar-e-Pul and Jawzjan provinces. The Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority reported that more than 500 homes were partially or completely damaged, leaving many families at immediate risk of displacement as temperatures fall ahead of winter.
In Mazar-i-Sharif, the provincial capital of Balkh, the quake badly damaged the famed 15th-century Blue Mosque. Regional government spokesman Haji Zahid posted video of the damage on his social media account.
Humanitarian organisations have dispatched teams to arrange emergency medical care and deliver essential supplies. Many relief groups are operating under tighter budgets after recent funding cuts from the United States and other donors, complicating the response.
"Afghanistan faces repeated disasters — earthquakes, floods and drought, all worsened by the climate crisis," said Srikanta Mirsa, ActionAid's country director for Afghanistan. "One in five Afghans faces acute hunger, with millions more severely malnourished. Every cut to international aid further weakens the resilience and recovery of millions of Afghans already living in crisis."
The quake compounds a string of deadly seismic events in Afghanistan over the past two years. In late August, a powerful tremor in the east killed about 2,200 people and left thousands without shelter, clean water or medical care. After that disaster the U.N. said it needed $140 million in emergency funding to help affected families.
With winter approaching and critical resources stretched thin, aid groups warn that displaced families face mounting health, shelter and food-security risks in the coming weeks.
