Death, destruction in Afghanistan after earthquake kills over 800, UN steps in for relief | Key updates

The 6.0-magnitude earthquake flattened villages in Afghanistan, with the Kunar province bordering Pakistan being the worst-hit.

A devastating earthquake hit eastern Afghanistan just before midnight on Sunday, killing more than 800 and injuring around 2,700, leaving the survivors to spend Monday night in the open as rescue workers pulled victims from the rubble.

More than 800 people have died and over 2,700 were injured from August 31 night to September 1, 2025, in eastern Afghanistan after a 6-magnitude earthquake, followed by at least five aftershocks felt hundreds of kilometers away.(AFP)

The 6.0-magnitude earthquake flattened villages in the country, with the Kunar province bordering Pakistan being the worst-hit. While such magnitude causes slight damage to well-designed buildings, it was especially devastating for Afghanistan due to the majority of the population living in poorly built areas.

Here are the top points on the devastation caused by the earthquake in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan earthquake: Top points

• According to the USGS, the Afghanistan earthquake's epicentre was about 27 kilometres (17 miles) from Jalalabad. It struck a shallow eight kilometres below the Earth's surface. The quake struck just before midnight Sunday, with the worst of the destruction in Kunar province, which borders Pakistan. It also came with as many as five aftershocks.
• Around 800 people were killed and 2,500 injured in Kunar alone, near the epicentre, Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said. Another 12 people were killed and 255 were injured in neighbouring Nangarhar province, while 58 people were injured in Laghman province. "Many people are stuck under the rubble of their roofs," the disaster management head in eastern Kunar province, Ehsanullah Ehsan, told AFP on Monday afternoon, warning the death toll could rise.
• According to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), some of the most severely impacted villages in Kunar remain inaccessible due to road blockages. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said in a statement that the world body was working with authorities to "swiftly assess needs, provide emergency assistance and stand ready to mobilise additional support." He also announced the release of an initial $5 million from the UN's global emergency response fund.
• Rescuers searched into the night to pull to safety those trapped under the debris of simple mud and stone homes built into steep valleys.
• In a post shared by the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV said he was "deeply saddened by the significant loss of life" caused by the quake.
• Afghanistan is one of the poorest countries in the world, facing a protracted humanitarian crisis and the influx of millions of Afghans forced back to the country by neighbours Pakistan and Iran in recent years. Since the return of the Taliban in 2021, foreign aid to the country has been slashed, undermining the impoverished nation's already hamstrung ability to respond to disasters.
• The United States was the largest aid donor to Afghanistan until early 2025, when all but a sliver of funds were cancelled after President Donald Trump took office. In June, the United Nations said it was drastically scaling back its global humanitarian aid plans due to the "deepest funding cuts ever".