Death Toll Climbs Past 1,100 As Rescuers Battle To Reach Earthquake Survivors In Afghanistan

The 6.0-magnitude temblor struck a distant mountainous area successful eastbound Afghanistan along nan Pakistan separator astatine astir midnight section clip (3:30 p.m. ET Sunday), according to nan U.S. Geological Survey.

It was epicentered 17 miles from nan eastbound metropolis of Jalalabad astatine a shallow extent of 5 miles, astatine which moreover comparatively mean earthquakes tin origin wide damage.

Afghanistan is particularly susceptible to earthquakes arsenic it sits connected apical of respective responsibility lines wherever nan Indian and Eurasian plates meet.

Most of nan fatalities person been recorded successful nan Kunar state on nan border, Taliban officials person said, wherever nan organization lives successful steep valleys successful poorly constructed homes made of mud bricks and wood.

"Children and their families were accelerated dormant successful their homes — homes that were not built to withstand tremors of this magnitude," said Samira Sayed Rahman, Advocacy Director astatine Save nan Children Afghanistan. "Roads person been blocked by rocks, cutting disconnected villages and hampering rescue operations."

The United Nations coordinator for nan state said that “the biggest situation is to scope these distant areas pinch nan roadworthy entree highly damaged.” “There’s been tons of landslides and stone falls, and entree has been very constricted to everybody successful nan first 24 hours,” Indrika Ratwatte said successful a property briefing successful Kabul.

As galore arsenic 12,000 group are estimated to beryllium straight affected by nan quake, nan U.N.’s Office for nan Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said successful a report Monday, informing that nan decease toll was expected to emergence arsenic rescuers complete their hunt operations.

The Taliban, which seized power of nan state successful 2021, has called for world assistance to tackle nan devastation.

That is complicated, arsenic astir countries do not admit nan Taliban's rule. Last month, nan U.S. Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction said nan Taliban uses its regulatory powerfulness to find which NGOs tin activity successful Afghanistan and how, determining wherever nan assistance goes.

The Taliban denies diverting aid.

Nonetheless, immoderate countries person offered thief successful nan aftermath of nan quake, including China and nan U.K., which said Monday it would supply astir $1.3 cardinal successful assistance divided among a fewer assistance agencies.

But nan U.S., which supplied astir half of each humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan until past year, has yet to denote immoderate assistance aft axing an estimated $1.7 cardinal of assistance contracts to Afghanistan nether President Donald Trump.

This is nan 3rd awesome earthquake successful Afghanistan since nan U.S. pullout.

Around 1,000 group were killed and thousands much injured successful 2022 erstwhile a shallow 5.9-magnitude earthquake besides deed eastbound Afghanistan.

A twelvemonth later, astir 4,000 group were killed successful nan occidental Afghanistan state of Herat from 3 6.3-magnitude quakes. The United Nations had issued a little decease tally for that quake astatine astir 1,500.

Afghanistan, 1 of nan world’s poorest countries, has been ravaged by years of conflict, including a two-decade warfare betwixt nan Taliban and nan U.S.

Since coming backmost to power, nan Taliban has struggled to summation world legitimacy astatine a clip erstwhile Afghanistan is facing nutrient challenges aft 4 consecutive years of drought and nan influx of complete 2 cardinal Afghans from neighboring Iran and Pakistan.