KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – More than 260,000 children have been affected by the recent earthquake in eastern Afghanistan, with about 280 left without parents, according to Save the Children.
The organization said Thursday that more than 5,000 homes were destroyed, leaving families to sleep in tents or out in the open.
“With homes in ruins and so many relatives killed or injured, children are carrying a terrible burden of loss,” said Samira Sayed Rahman, Programme and Advocacy Director for Save the Children in Afghanistan. “This is a terrifying time for children. The fear and grief they carry will not disappear when the rubble is cleared.”
Rahman added that the organization is providing immediate mental health support for affected children, but warned that thousands will require long-term care. She urged donors to provide urgent and sustained funding to prevent further suffering.
The 6.0-magnitude quake struck late on August 31, flattening mountain villages in Kunar and Nangarhar provinces. More than 2,200 people have been killed and thousands injured, according to Taliban figures. Aftershocks continue to shake the region, hampering rescue efforts in remote, mountainous areas.
Humanitarian agencies say hospitals are overwhelmed with injured patients, many in need of urgent surgery. Shortages of female doctors have complicated treatment for women and girls.
The UN has appealed for immediate international support. UNICEF says thousands of children are at risk and has deployed medical and psychosocial teams. The World Health Organization says it needs $4 million to provide life-saving health services, expand mobile health centers, and support water and sanitation work.
The UN has pledged $10 million in emergency funding, Germany €2.1 million, the EU €1 million, the UK £1 million, and Australia $1 million. India, Pakistan, Iran, Japan, Russia, China, Qatar, and Turkey have sent emergency supplies, including tents, food, blankets, and medical kits.
Relief groups and Taliban authorities have called for more international support, warning that current resources are far from enough to meet the needs of thousands of displaced families.
