More than 2,200 people have died after a powerful earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan over the weekend, Taliban authorities confirmed on Thursday.
Nearly 4,000 others were injured.
Deputy government spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat said on X that most of the 2,217 deaths and almost 4,000 injuries occurred in Kunar province, near the Pakistan border. He added that “rescue efforts are still ongoing.”
The magnitude 6.0 quake struck on Sunday, causing widespread destruction in Kunar and Nangarhar provinces. The tremor, recorded at a shallow depth of 10 km, flattened homes and left entire communities devastated. On Tuesday, a second 5.5 magnitude quake hit the same region, triggering landslides, blocking mountain roads, and halting rescue work.
Authorities said more than 6,700 homes have been destroyed. The Taliban administration later confirmed a toll of 2,205 dead and at least 3,640 injured. Rescue workers continued pulling bodies from rubble while survivors faced bleak conditions.
The United Nations warned that the toll may rise as people remain trapped. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies described humanitarian needs as “vast and growing rapidly.” It is estimated that up to 84,000 people were directly and indirectly affected, with thousands displaced.
Islamic Relief Worldwide reported that in some Kunar villages, two out of three people had been killed or injured. It said 98% of buildings in those areas were damaged or destroyed.
Video footage showed trucks carrying aid, including flour and shovels, heading to highland villages. Helicopters airdropped commando forces into sites inaccessible by land.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs noted that many families preferred to stay outdoors rather than return to damaged homes. Most houses were built from stone, timber, and dry masonry, offering little protection against quakes. Recent heavy rains left the ground unstable, increasing risks of collapse.
Afghanistan, sitting at the junction of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates in the Hindu Kush range, is highly prone to earthquakes. The disaster comes at a time when the country, home to 42 million people, is crippled by poverty, war, and a steep decline in aid.
International agencies warned of dwindling resources. The World Health Organisation said it faced a $3 million funding gap needed for medicines, trauma kits, and basic supplies. The World Food Programme said it only had funds and stocks to support survivors for four more weeks, according to its country head John Aylieff.
Jacopo Caridi of the Norwegian Refugee Council urged donors to do more.