Afghanistan was struck by another earthquake on Thursday morning, deepening fears in a country already reeling from multiple tremors and an escalating humanitarian crisis.
According to the National Center for Seismology (NCS), a magnitude 4.8 earthquake hit at 10:40 a.m. IST at a depth of 135 kilometers, with its epicenter located at latitude 34.38 N and longitude 70.37 E. The latest tremor followed a 4.3-magnitude earthquake late Wednesday night, which struck at a much shallower depth of just 10 kilometers, making the region particularly vulnerable to damaging aftershocks.
Seismologists caution that shallow quakes tend to be more destructive because their seismic waves travel a shorter distance to the surface, often resulting in stronger ground shaking, greater structural damage, and higher casualties.
The series of earthquakes comes as Afghanistan grapples with mounting devastation. The World Food Programme (WFP) confirmed that more than 1,400 people have been killed and over 3,000 injured in Kunar and Nangarhar provinces, some of the worst-hit areas. Many communities affected by the quakes were already struggling in the aftermath of recent flash floods, and worsening weather conditions are raising fears of an even deeper humanitarian emergency.
“Homes reduced to rubble, roads destroyed, landslides everywhere, and tragically, lives lost,” said Harald Mannhardt, WFP’s regional director, describing the scene. He added that rescue and relief efforts are ongoing but remain hampered by blocked roads, difficult terrain, and repeated aftershocks.
The WFP has begun airlifting emergency aid to the affected provinces, including food rations and high-energy biscuits. Additional flights carrying supplies and humanitarian staff are expected in the coming days as the agency ramps up its operations.
India has also dispatched relief to Afghanistan. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar announced earlier this week that 21 tonnes of Indian aid had arrived in Kabul. The shipment included blankets, tents, hygiene kits, water storage tanks, generators, kitchen utensils, portable water purifiers, sleeping bags, medicines, wheelchairs, and other critical supplies.
“Indian earthquake assistance reaches Kabul by air,” Jaishankar said in a post on X, noting that the support was aimed at providing urgent relief to quake survivors.
Despite international assistance, the scale of destruction continues to overwhelm local authorities. Rescue operations have been slowed by landslides and damaged infrastructure, leaving many remote communities cut off. Aid workers warn that thousands remain in urgent need of shelter, medical support, and food as the threat of further tremors lingers.
The repeated earthquakes underscore Afghanistan’s vulnerability to natural disasters, which compound the challenges faced by a population already enduring political instability, poverty, and limited access to healthcare. For many survivors, the immediate concern remains finding safety amid crumbling homes and aftershocks that have yet to subside.
