KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Taliban authorities in eastern Nuristan province reported that a landslide in Parun, the provincial capital, has killed two people and injured three others.
Fridon Samim, spokesperson for the Taliban governor in Nuristan, said the incident occurred on Wednesday, September 24, along the Nuristan-Kunar road construction project in Parun district.
He said that rescue teams are on site, working to free individuals trapped under rocks, and added that the casualty count could rise as efforts continue. All of those affected were employees of the road project.
The landslide is the latest in a series of natural disasters to hit Afghanistan in recent months, including earthquakes, flash floods, and other landslides, which have killed hundreds and caused widespread damage.
Just three weeks ago, a magnitude 6.0 earthquake hit several provinces in eastern Afghanistan, with Kunar province suffering the heaviest damage. According to the UN, the quake and its aftershocks destroyed entire villages, killed approximately 2,000 people—mostly women and children—and injured nearly 4,000 others. Some 500,000 people were directly affected, and more than 6,700 homes were either completely destroyed or severely damaged.
Last year, heavy rains and flash floods, particularly in Ghor and Faryab provinces, killed hundreds and displaced thousands of families. Roads, homes, and farmlands were devastated, compounding the challenges faced by residents who already struggle with limited infrastructure and resources.
These disasters highlight the extreme vulnerability of the Afghan population since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021. The country is now facing what the UN describes as one of the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, with millions of people in urgent need of food, shelter, medical care, and other essential support.
According to the UN, nearly 23 million people in Afghanistan—more than half the population, most of them women and children—require life-saving assistance this year.
Meanwhile, Humanitarian agencies are struggling with severe funding shortfalls. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports it has received only around 20% of the $2.4 billion requested for Afghanistan in 2025.
