Rescue teams in Afghanistan continued pulling bodies from the ruins of destroyed homes on September 4, after a series of earthquakes claimed more than 2,200 lives. Survivors left without shelter now face an uncertain future as international aid groups warn that relief supplies are running thin.
According to the Taliban authorities, search operations remain under way in the mountainous eastern provinces hit by the disaster. Officials confirmed 2,205 deaths and at least 3,640 people injured.
«Everything we owned has been lost,» said Aalem Jan, a resident of Kunar whose house was reduced to rubble. Sitting with his family under trees, he added, «All that remains are the clothes we are wearing.»
Successive Quakes Compound Destruction
The first quake, measuring 6 in magnitude, struck at a shallow depth on August 31, and caused widespread devastation in Kunar and Nangarhar. A second tremor of 5.5 magnitude followed on September 2, sparking panic and disrupting rescue work as landslides blocked access to remote mountain villages. Authorities report that more than 6,700 homes have been levelled.
The United Nations has warned the toll could climb further as many remain trapped beneath collapsed structures, with the critical window for saving lives narrowing. Humanitarian needs are described as «immense and growing rapidly» by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, which estimates that up to 84,000 people have been affected and thousands displaced.
A survey by Islamic Relief Worldwide found that in some villages in Kunar two out of every three residents had been killed or wounded, and nearly all buildings damaged or destroyed. Survivors are left to dig through the debris in search of relatives, carrying bodies on makeshift stretchers and preparing graves while awaiting desperately needed assistance.
