On 31 August 2025, an earthquake of magnitude 6.0 struck southeastern Afghanistan. The epicenter was located about 27 km east-northeast of Momand Dara district in Nangarhar province, and Nurgul district in Kunar province, both bordering Pakistan. Over 1,400 people have been killed and more than 3,500 injured (numbers expected to rise). Around 8000 homes have been destroyed or severely damaged, affecting over 12,000 individuals and leaving thousands displaced.
ActionAid Afghanistan (AAA) is currently operating in Nangarhar, one of the affected provinces. AAA has dispatched a team to conduct a rapid assessment in coordination with local de facto authorities (DfA) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), who are leading the assessment. Additionally, AAA is participating in coordination meetings with the Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority (ANDMA) and engaging with other agencies to support the response.
ActionAid is uniquely placed, through our women- and young people-led, human rights-based approach to make a distinct contribution to the response to this emergency. Building on our existing presence primarily in Nangarhar and Laghman provinces and now scaling up in Kunar, we will set up a humanitarian response jointly with local partners focusing on alleviating human suffering by providing immediate lifesaving assistance to communities affected by the earthquake.
The earthquake has further compounded an already dire poly-crisis. In 2025, over 22.9 million people, nearly half the population are in need of humanitarian assistance, including 12.4 million children. Having previously responded to the Herat earthquake in 2024, ActionAid Afghanistan brings proven experience in delivering aid in remote and hard-to-reach areas, making it well placed to lead an effective and locally driven response to the current crisis.
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