Afghanistan's Taliban rulers have called for international help after a huge earthquake killed hundreds of people and leveled entire villages, piling further misery on the war-ravaged country that was already grappling with food shortages and cuts to foreign aid. At least 800 people were killed and more than 2,800 were injured after the 6.0-magnitude quake struck towns and villages close to the Pakistan border on Sunday, causing strong aftershocks in Kabul, according to the UN and the Taliban government. Heavy rain, landslides and damaged roads have made it difficult for relief teams to access the remote mountainous areas hit hardest by the quake. Meanwhile, recent US aid cuts have crunched relief efforts in the country, which has been contending with shrinking global aid since the Taliban seized control in 2021. The earthquake hit just before midnight 27 kilometers (16.77 miles) north-east of Jalalabad, a bustling city of about 200,000 people in Nangarhar Province near the border with Pakistan, in a mountainous area known for its seismic activity, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The quake was relatively shallow with a depth of about 8km (4.97 miles), according to the USGS. Shallow earthquakes tend to be more destructive. The earthquake devastated neighboring Kunar province, razing three villages, Reuters reported, citing local authorities. Damage and injuries were also reported in Laghman, Nuristan and Panjshir provinces, according to the Taliban government and humanitarian workers. The earthquake was also felt in several cities in neighboring Pakistan, the Pakistan Meteorological Department said in a statement. The region was hit by at least five aftershocks, the strongest measuring 5.2-magnitude in the hours after the initial quake, according to USGS. This is the third major quake since 2021 to hit Afghanistan, which faces a litany of man-made and natural disasters, including poverty, conflict, and drought. Nearly half a million people likely felt strong to very strong shaking, which can result in considerable damage to poorly built structures, according to the USGS. At least 800 people have been reported killed and more than 2,800 others injured, according to Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid. Photos from the aftermath showed rows of brick houses swept under muddy debris, as residents clambered over huge piles of fallen concrete. Eyewitnesses recalled fumbling for loved ones stuck under collapsed homes, as they waited hours for emergency workers to reach the worst-affected regions, according to the Associated Press. "I was half-buried and unable to get out," Sadiqullah, a resident of Nurgal, in Kunar province, told AP. His wife and two sons were killed, he added. Ahmad Zameer, 41, a resident of Kabul, more than 100 miles from the epicenter, told CNN the earthquake jolted his neighborhood. He added that everyone from the nearby apartment buildings rushed into the street in fear of being trapped inside. Videos obtained by CNN show men digging with shovels to search for survivors under the rubble in Kunar province. Others showed chaotic scenes as officials worked to stretcher the wounded onto helicopters to be airlifted to hospital. The war-ravaged nation is in the throes of a humanitarian crisis that has only worsened since the Taliban seized power in 2021 following a chaotic United States withdrawal, which saw many international aid groups pull out of the country. Earlier this year, the White House halted more than $1.7 billion worth of American aid contracts supporting dozens of programs in Afghanistan. The United Kingdom, France and Germany swiftly followed suit. Humanitarian aid to Afghanistan shrunk to $767 million in 2025, down from $3.8 billion in 2022, according to Reuters. As a result of those funding cuts, the World Food Programme is no longer able to deliver aid by air to hard-to-reach villages, Kate Carey, deputy head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Afghanistan, told Reuters. Following the earthquake on Sunday, one senior rights official warned the humanitarian needs will far outweigh those of a powerful 6.3 magnitude 2023 quake, when more than 2,000 people were killed. "We are profoundly fearful for the additional strain that this disaster will have on the overall humanitarian response in Afghanistan," Sherine Ibrahim, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) country director for Afghanistan, said in a statement. The Taliban have appealed to the world for more aid to support relief efforts, but so far, few countries have stepped up. "We need it because here lots of people lost their lives and houses," health ministry spokesperson Sharafat Zaman told Reuters. The UK on Tuesday announced £1 million ($1.3 million) in new emergency funding to support families affected by the earthquake, to be split between the UN Population Fund and the International Red Cross. "The UK remains grateful to the aid workers on the ground, who help us to provide support to Afghanistan's most vulnerable people," Foreign Secretary David Lammy said in a statement. A spokesperson for China's foreign ministry said it was ready to provide disaster relief assistance "according to Afghanistan's needs and within its capacity," Reuters reported. Meanwhile, India delivered 1,000 family tents to Kabul and 15 metric tons of food aid to Kunar, with more relief to come, Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said according to Reuters. The US State Department's Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs extended "heartfelt condolences to the Afghan people" in a post to X, but there was no immediate word of aid from the US. — CNN
