UN Warns Afghanistan Earthquake Could Affect Hundreds of Thousands

The United Nations has warned that the devastating earthquake in eastern Afghanistan, which has already killed more than 900 people, could affect “hundreds of thousands” more.

The 6.0-magnitude quake struck just after midnight on Sunday in remote mountainous areas near the Pakistan border, followed by at least five aftershocks. The epicenter was about 27 kilometers from Jalalabad, according to the US Geological Survey.

Indrika Ratwatte, the UN’s humanitarian coordinator in Afghanistan, said the full scale of the disaster is still unfolding. “The numbers are definitely going to increase,” he told reporters from Kabul, warning that casualties could rise “exponentially.”

Many of the victims were asleep in fragile mud-brick homes when the earthquake struck. “These houses have mud walls and wooden roofs. When the walls collapse, the roof falls on people, killing or suffocating them,” Ratwatte explained.

The quake also triggered landslides and rockfalls, making it extremely difficult for rescuers to reach affected villages. Damaged roads mean helicopters are urgently needed to deliver aid, evacuate the injured, and support search-and-rescue teams.

Afghanistan, already struggling with decades of conflict, economic hardship, and a worsening humanitarian crisis, is ill-equipped to handle such a disaster. Millions of Afghans who were forced back into the country from Pakistan and Iran in recent years are especially vulnerable.

Ratwatte appealed to the international community for help. He stressed that the UN’s $2.8 billion appeal for Afghanistan this year has received only 28% of the needed funding.

“The people of Afghanistan are facing multiple crises and multiple shocks,” he said. “Now is the time for solidarity.”