Afghanistan: Situation Update #7 - Eastern Region Earthquake Response (25 September 2025)

This report is produced by OCHA Afghanistan in collaboration with humanitarian partners. It covers the period from 15 to 23 September 2025. The next report will be issued on or around 29 September.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Humanitarian response is ongoing following the 6+ magnitude earthquake that struck the eastern region of Afghanistan on 31 August, and significant aftershocks on 2, 4 and 23 September.
• Multi-sector needs assessments have now been completed in 134 of the 411 hardest-hit villages – that is, those that experienced levels 7 and 8 shaking on the Modified Mercalli Scale (MMI). Needs assessments have verified 8,471 families in the assessed villages were directly impacted by the earthquake (almost 56,000 people), with 1,992 people killed (52 per cent women and girls), 3,631 people injured (54 per cent women and girls) and 8,471 homes destroyed or damaged. Over 3,000 families currently reside in at least five major sites for internally displaced people (IDP) across two districts, with many smaller areas of displacement across the entire earthquake affected area. While several of the IDP sites are along the Kunar River basin and relatively accessible, several are in mountain valleys with limited access. With some 94 per cent of families living in open space/makeshift shelters with temperatures dropping as winter approaches, there is a critical need for winterization and shelter support in high-altitude areas to prevent further displacement. Additionally, the earthquake killed more than 7,000 livestock with 96 per cent of affected households have lost food sources.
• To date, humanitarian partners have reached at least 105,000 people with different forms of food assistance, including specialized nutrition support for at-risk groups such as malnourished children and pregnant and breastfeeding women. At least 32,405 people (51 per cent women and girls) received health services, while an estimated 1,470.5 m³ of safe drinking water has been provided along with 30,300 jerry cans and 864,633 Aqua-tabs for water cleaning. In total, 6,885 families received shelter assistance, including standard NFI kits, winter clothing kits and blanket modules. In addition, 6,392 different forms of hygiene kits were distributed and close to 750 emergency sanitation units with latrines installed across the affected areas.
• Since 15 September, disruptions of internet services due to cut connections between local distribution lines and the fibre optic backbone structure have been impacting humanitarian operations, slowing down contact with frontline responders and delaying the transmission of assessment and response data from field locations to centralized hubs.
• As of 25 September 2025, $23.7 million has been received for the earthquake response, leaving a gap of $115.9 million (83 per cent). In total, US $139.6 million is required to deliver life-saving response activities and support early recovery efforts.

SITUATION OVERVIEW

On 31 August, at 23.47 local time, a 6+ magnitude earthquake hit Nangarhar, Kunar and Laghman provinces in eastern Afghanistan. Subsequent aftershocks, including an aftershock measuring 5.6 in magnitude on 4 September and 4.9 in magnitude on 23 September, caused additional casualties, damage and destruction and further disrupted access to the worst-affected areas. The aftershock on 23 September is reported to have destroyed houses in Sutan and Machgandul villages in Dara-e-Noor district, Nangarhar Province.

Close to 8,500 families have been assessed as directly affected, with 1,992 people killed and more than 3,600 people injured, with the impact on many other remote villages still unclear. At least 6,300 homes were destroyed and 2,177 damaged. With 34 per cent of the hardest-hit communities now assessed, humanitarian partners in the eastern region have declared that the formal assessment phase is over; the Inter-Cluster Coordination Team (ICCT) is currently looking at alternative ways of determining whether any residual needs remain in unassessed areas, such as through satellite imagery.

The earthquake caused severe damage to infrastructure and basic services. Electricity and communications were disrupted, roads were blocked by debris, health facilities overwhelmed, and water sources compromised. The damage to water and sanitation infrastructure is extensive with more than 132 water sources reported damaged and destroyed across the 134 assessed villages. Due to this, 84 per cent of communities are currently practicing open defecation, 78 per cent of communities have no hand washing facility available and 80 per cent of communities report a lack of hygiene-related NFIs such as soap, increasing risks of disease outbreaks such as Cholera and other waterborne diseases.

Several temporary settlements have been established by de facto authorities across Kunar Province, including in Patan and Zirai Baba villages in Nurgal District, on the Khas Kunar Military Base and three in Andarlachak and Dewagal Valley of Chawkay District. Humanitarian partners are also providing assistance in camps in Ghaziabab and Wadir villages in Nurgal District in Kunar Province.

With the cold season approaching, rainfall anticipated to intensify, and temperatures dropping in high-altitude areas, humanitarian partners - working in coordination with relevant line ministries and provincial directorates of the de facto authorities - are striving to meet the most urgent needs of affected families. Life-saving assistance is being delivered as quickly as possible, with priority given to high-risk groups, despite the limited resources available.