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Afghanistan Earthquakes Impact Ongoing Challenges

by | Oct 11, 2023 | Humanitarian, International

Earthquakes Strike Afghanistan

A series of earthquakes has devastated western Afghanistan, beginning over the weekend and continuing through the week.

On Saturday, October 7th, a 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck 25 miles west of the city of Herat. Over 2,400 people were killed, and another 2,400 were injured, according to Mullah Janan Saiq, a spokesman for Afghanistan’s Ministry for Disaster Management. In total, more than 11,500 people have been affected by the quake, as reported by the UN.

Image Source: BBC / USGS

In a country that’s already suffering from human rights abuses, as well as political, economic, and agricultural hardships, especially in the wake of the Taliban’s takeover in 2021, Saturday’s tremors dealt a horrific blow to the people of Afghanistan.

A few days later, on Wednesday, October 11th, another earthquake of the same magnitude struck once again, followed shortly by 5.0 and 4.3 quakes. As of this writing, there are no reports on damages or loss of life, but with crippled Afghan citizens already struggling to rebuild and search for survivors, we expect the situation will only worsen.

Why Does Afghanistan Get So Many Earthquakes?

Afghanistan is located on top of numerous fault lines where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates meet, making the country highly susceptible to earthquakes. Over the past decade alone, more than 7,000 people have been killed in Afghanistan by earthquakes, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

What’s more, buildings in the country are not earthquake-resistant. In addition, the mountainous regions of Afghanistan are prone to landslides when they are struck by earthquakes. In a nation that has already been marred by decades of humanitarian crises, such geological and infrastructural weaknesses only exacerbate the suffering of its people.

Image Source: New York Times

Impact Of The Taliban

To make matters worse, the Taliban’s takeover in 2021 has severely crippled Afghanistan’s healthcare system. Indeed, Saturday’s earthquake alone overwhelmed the country’s hospitals, which are already under-equipped.

Furthermore, the militant group’s rise to power has affected foreign aid and assistance. Although the United Nations is providing significant aid to the country, multiple international aid agencies have either significantly reduced their operations or withdrawn completely from Afghanistan.

The Taliban has already struggled to handle Afghanistan’s severe droughts, which is among the most pressing issues that its government faces. Now, with the impact of a series of earthquakes in the span of just a few days, it’s unknown whether the group has enough resources or even support to properly address the latest struggles of its country’s people.

What’s Being Done To Help?

Even though international support for Afghanistan has significantly declined, there still exist organizations that are contributing to humanitarian relief in the country. For example, the International Rescue Committee, the Center for Disaster Philanthropy, and the International Committee of the Red Cross are among the groups that are working to help Afghanistan’s people, providing medical care, essential supplies, and shelter to affected individuals and families.

If you would like to donate or volunteer your time to any of these groups, we recommend checking out the list below (please keep in mind that Keepin’ Real is not affiliated with any of these organizations):

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