KABUL — The United Nations has warned that parts of eastern Afghanistan hit by last week’s deadly earthquake remain contaminated with explosive ordnance, further complicating rescue and relief operations as the death toll climbs past 2,200.
“Given that this is a country that was in conflict for many years, our colleagues at the Mine Action Service have warned that 25 square kilometres of land is contaminated by explosive ordnance in areas impacted by the earthquake,” said Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for the Secretary-General, in a press briefing in New York on Wednesday.
Dujarric noted that ongoing aftershocks in Chakway and Nurgal, two of Kunar province’s worst-affected districts, were “causing further hardship in the earthquake area, with many families staying outdoors. They also impact rescue efforts and assessments in the region.”
The magnitude 6.0 quake struck late on August 31, flattening villages across Kunar, Nangarhar, Laghman, and Nuristan provinces. Taliban authorities now report more than 2,200 dead and close to 4,000 injured, with thousands displaced.
With roads blocked by landslides and machinery scarce, survivors continue to dig through rubble by hand in search of missing relatives.
Humanitarian agencies say urgent needs include shelter, medical supplies, drinking water, food, and sanitation, with hospitals overwhelmed and critical shortages of female doctors complicating treatment for women and girls.
Aid groups have also warned of disease outbreaks if safe water and hygiene supplies are not provided quickly.
The UN has appealed for immediate international support to scale up relief operations. Initial assistance has begun: UNICEF said thousands of children are at risk and has deployed medical and psychosocial teams; the World Health Organization rushed in emergency health kits and trauma supplies; and the International Red Cross has sent mobile medical teams.
Pakistan and Iran have also dispatched relief trucks carrying food, tents, and medical aid across the border.
But aid officials stress that resources are still far below what is required.
“The needs remain immense, and the UN calls on all who are able to provide support to the earthquake response to do so,” Dujarric said.
