KABUL, Afghanistan — More than 500,000 people, including over 263,000 children, have been affected by last week’s powerful earthquake in eastern Afghanistan, UNICEF said in its first flash update.
The 6.0-magnitude quake struck at 11:47 p.m. on Aug. 31 in Kuz Kunar district of Nangarhar province, flattening villages and triggering landslides. Seventeen aftershocks of magnitude 4.0 or greater followed, including three above 5.0.
According to UNICEF, at least 2,205 people were killed and 3,640 others injured. Among the dead were 393 girls and 338 boys. The agency said 271 children were left orphaned and 81 children are currently hospitalized without relatives, raising fears they may have lost their entire families.
The earthquake destroyed or damaged more than 6,700 houses across Kunar, Nangarhar and Laghman provinces. Entire valleys were cut off by landslides, complicating rescue efforts.
Health facilities have treated 2,854 trauma cases and performed 304 major surgeries since Sept. 1. UNICEF said 47 ambulances have been operating nonstop between remote districts and hospitals in Jalalabad and Asadabad. The agency has delivered thousands of medical supplies, including 48,500 IV fluids, 25,000 antibiotics, and 1,000 cartons of ready-to-use therapeutic food.
Child protection teams have identified 45 unaccompanied or separated children, of whom 34 have been reunited with their families. Nine child-friendly spaces are now serving nearly 1,000 children, and interim care centers are being established for those without guardians.
Water and sanitation remain urgent needs. UNICEF reported distributing 5,150 hygiene kits, 40,000 jerry cans, and installing 150 latrines, while water trucking continues in the hardest-hit areas. Families in Kunar are also receiving $150 in emergency cash, with plans to extend assistance to 5,000 households and provide winter supplies to 25,000 families.
The agency warned that malnutrition, already at crisis levels before the disaster, has sharply worsened in Kunar, Nangarhar and Laghman. “Rates of malnutrition have spiked and are likely to deteriorate further,” the report said.
UNICEF estimates it needs $21.6 million for a six-month response but has only secured $5.2 million so far, leaving a $16.3 million funding gap.
