KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The devastating earthquake that struck eastern Afghanistan on August 31 caused an estimated $183 million in direct damage to buildings and infrastructure, the World Bank Group said in a report.
In its Global Rapid Post-Disaster Damage Estimate (GRADE) Report: Eastern Afghanistan Earthquake – August 31, released Friday, the World Bank said the loss amounts to more than 1% of Afghanistan’s gross domestic product for the 2023 fiscal year.
According to the report, the provinces of Kunar and Nangarhar suffered 97% of the total damage, estimated at US$134.7 million and US$42.6 million, respectively. Residential buildings accounted for about 35% of the losses, followed by non-residential structures and agricultural facilities.
The magnitude 6.0 quake struck multiple provinces in eastern Afghanistan, including Kunar, Nangarhar, and Laghman, with Kunar sustaining the heaviest damage. It was Afghanistan’s deadliest earthquake since 1998, killing around 2,000 people and severely affecting an estimated 500,000 to 1.3 million people, the World Bank said.
The quake and its aftershocks also damaged health centers, schools, water and sanitation infrastructure, and farmland, exacerbating hardships in a country where two-thirds of the population depends on humanitarian support.
The bank said it quickly identified up to US$15 million from existing projects to provide emergency support in the affected areas, including cash-for-work activities to restore basic services such as roads, irrigation canals, and reservoirs.
“The World Bank stands in solidarity with the people of Afghanistan following the devastating earthquake in the eastern provinces,” said Faris Hadad-Zervos, the World Bank’s Country Director for Afghanistan. “We remain committed to helping Afghan communities rebuild stronger and safer.”
The August disaster was the third major earthquake to strike Afghanistan in recent years. A quake in Paktika province in June 2022 killed about 1,000 people, while a series of tremors in Herat in October 2023 left more than 1,000 dead and nearly 4,000 injured, according to the United Nations.
Afghanistan also faces recurring floods, landslides, and prolonged droughts, compounding the hardships of millions already living in poverty.
