Afghanistan Quake Death Toll Exceeds 2,200, Villages Razed

Hundreds of bodies have been recovered from collapsed homes in remote mountain villages, pushing the confirmed death toll past 2,200, Taliban officials said on Thursday. Entire communities in Kunar province lie in ruins, with wooden and mud-brick homes particularly vulnerable to the magnitude-6.0 tremor that struck on Sunday night. Whole villages have been obliterated, claim Taliban officials, as rescue teams work amid landslides, impassable roads and ongoing aftershocks.

Aid agencies warn of a mounting humanitarian catastrophe. Rough terrain and damaged infrastructure are hampering relief efforts, forcing workers to trek for hours to reach survivors. The Norwegian Refugee Council is operating with just $100,000 in emergency funds, far below the nearly $2 million needed to address the crisis.

Two powerful aftershocks—a magnitude 6.2 followed by a 5.4—struck within 12 hours on Thursday, deepening devastation across Kunar and neighbouring Nangarhar provinces. These tremors have claimed more lives and destroyed thousands more homes, leaving survivors exposed to the elements and in dire need of shelter.

Medical and aid organisations fear a looming health crisis. Overcrowded shelters and poor sanitation raise the spectre of disease outbreaks, and the World Health Organization has called for an additional $4 million to support critical services. The UN has released $10 million, but gaps remain.

Already strained by prolonged drought, economic hardship and the return of more than two million deported Afghans, the region’s resilience is being severely tested. With whole villages destroyed, officials say, displacement and trauma are widespread. The international community faces mounting calls to step up support before the unfolding disaster deepens further.