Afghanistan has deployed dozens of commandos to rescue survivors trapped beneath rubble after two powerful earthquakes devastated remote provinces. The death toll has surpassed 1,400, while thousands remain injured and homeless. Aid agencies have warned that food, shelter, and medical supplies are running dangerously low.
Commandos Airdropped for Emergency Evacuations
On Wednesday, Afghan authorities began airdropping commando units into quake-hit areas where helicopters could not land. Their mission is to carry the injured to safer ground and assist overwhelmed rescue teams. With entire families buried beneath collapsed homes, aid groups described the operation as a race against time.
The government has established emergency camps to coordinate relief, while disaster management teams are handling the burial of victims and the transfer of the wounded. Officials emphasized that helicopters and air support remain critically short despite urgent pleas for international assistance.
Scale of Destruction
The first magnitude-6 earthquake struck Kunar and Nangarhar provinces around midnight on Sunday at a shallow depth of 10 kilometers. It flattened villages, destroyed homes, and triggered landslides. Just two days later, a second quake measuring 5.5 shook the same region, disrupting rescue efforts and sending terrified residents fleeing.
According to official figures, at least 1,457 people have been killed, more than 3,394 injured, and over 6,700 homes destroyed. Humanitarian agencies warned that the toll may rise as many remain trapped under debris.
Aid Shortages and Funding Crisis
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) cautioned that food stocks in Afghanistan would only last four weeks without additional funding. Current support levels are less than $300 million this year, a sharp drop from $1.7 billion in 2022.
Officials highlighted that aid shortages stem partly from global donor fatigue, as well as restrictions imposed under Taliban rule, which have limited women’s participation in humanitarian work. These policies have discouraged foreign assistance, leaving the population vulnerable in times of crisis.
WFP’s Afghanistan chief explained that even basic needs cannot be met with current funding levels, let alone long-term recovery and rebuilding. The lack of helicopters has further hampered relief efforts, cutting off access to remote mountain villages.
Voices from the Ground
In Kunar province, survivors described entire households wiped out. Residents carried bodies on makeshift stretchers, dug graves with simple tools, and searched through rubble for missing relatives.
One elderly survivor in Lulam village said her family had been waiting for aid for three days. With no food or shelter, she expressed despair, saying only faith in God gave her hope.
On nearby roads, trucks delivered sacks of flour while volunteers brought tools to dig through ruins. Local and international groups, including humanitarian platforms and medical organizations, reported worsening conditions, especially for women and children.
Structural Weaknesses Increased Damage
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) noted that many homes in the region were built with poor materials such as stone, timber, and dry masonry. Recent heavy rains further destabilized the ground, making buildings more vulnerable to collapse during the earthquakes.
Rescue workers called for emergency shelters, sanitation facilities, safe drinking water, and critical medical supplies to prevent further loss of life. Medical teams also distributed trauma kits to hospitals treating survivors of the disaster.
A History of Seismic Vulnerability
Afghanistan is highly prone to earthquakes, particularly in the Hindu Kush mountain range where tectonic plates collide. Previous disasters have caused severe casualties, but the current twin quakes represent one of the deadliest in recent years.
The deployment of Afghan commandos highlights the urgency of the rescue mission, but aid shortages remain the greatest obstacle. Without immediate international support, survivors face worsening hunger, disease, and displacement in the weeks ahead.
