Just before midnight on August 31, 2025, a powerful earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan, killing at least 1,400 people in Kunar province, which is north of the city, and injuring more than 3,000. Entire communities were affected, particularly in remote mountainous areas with limited access due to blocked roads and damaged infrastructure. The disaster resulted in significant loss of life, thousands of injuries and the destruction of homes, health facilities and essential services.
This earthquake comes at a time when eastern Afghanistan is already facing multiple humanitarian challenges, including flooding and the return of refugees. While also placing immense strain on an already fragile health system. Referral hospitals in Kunar and Nangarhar continue to face shortages of medical supplies, while a lack of sufficient ambulances constrains referral and pre-hospital systems. Only four main hospitals in Asadabad, Chawkay, Jalalabad and Kama are serving as referral centers for the injured, alongside a temporary 50-bed hospital in Khas Kunar. Damaged health facilities, shortages of female health workers and lack of privacy in care settings are limiting access to services, particularly for women and girls. International Medical Corps remains committed to supporting affected families with lifesaving care and essential supplies. With your help, we can continue to provide urgent medical assistance, clean water and other critical resources to those most in need.
After the earthquake, our emergency response teams quickly launched relief efforts, including field visits, coordination activities and the delivery of emergency shelters, winter clothing kits and clean drinking water. We also delivered assistive devices for persons with disabilities to the Nangarhar regional office and prepared them for distribution. Our teams also joined key coordination groups—such as the Emergency Shelter and Non-Food Items Team, Health Clusters and Operational Coordination Team—and conducted assessments in Chawkay and Nurgal districts to evaluate humanitarian needs and access routes. Additionally, our teams distributed 4,680 liters of drinking water to families in Chawkay and Badinzai villages, both located in Chawkay district of Kunar province, and we conducted two days of training in psychological first aid (PFA) for frontline emergency health and protection workers in Kunar province.
International Medical Corps, which has worked in Afghanistan for more than four decades, is responding to the crisis by coordinating with local authorities and humanitarian partners to assess needs and deliver emergency health, nutrition, mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS), water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and protection services. Our teams are distributing pre-positioned winterization kits and tents to affected communities. We are assessing damage to water supply networks that may require repairs, to ensure access to clean water and reduce the spread of disease. To this end, on September 5, staff distributed 8,000 bottles of clean water to affected people. We also plan to distribute hygiene kits and conduct a hygiene promotion campaign
*Please note for recurring donations: Once we have determined that the community can continue to respond to the after-effects of this emergency without us, we will scale back our response efforts. At that time, we will redirect your future donations where they are needed most to help us respond to future outbreaks of conflict, disease or disaster.
