Lesa Scholl
10 September 2025
Aid workers are pleading for the world to remember Afghanistan after multiple earthquakes killed more than 2200 and left survivors without food, water and medicine.
The first earthquake struck the Nangarhar and Kunar provinces near the border with Pakistan late on Sunday night, 31 August.
Twenty minutes after the magnitude 6 quake hit, a 4.5 tremor was felt north of Basawul in Nangarhar and multiple tremors later near Jalalabad.
A third earthquake struck Jalalabad on Thursday evening local time as the search for survivors from the first quake entered its fifth day.
World Vision Afghanistan national director Thamindri de Silva said the earthquakes compounded the already dire humanitarian crisis in the country.
“You cannot even access by foot,” she said. “They’re having to prioritise other areas because they just can’t get in.”
Read more: ‘Prayers and practical support’ urged after earthquake
Ms de Silva said the broad-scale cuts to international aid had already compromised developmental aid work in the country.
“Because of this reticence of donors across the world, we haven’t been able to help this country,” she said.
She said those who wanted to help were overwhelmed by the size of the need and the lack of facilities, with 34 provinces without hospitals and poor infrastructure like roads and irrigation.
“People don’t have food, they don’t have water, they don’t have medical supplies.”
“It’s crisis upon crisis,” she said. “The needs of Afghanistan are so great…Don’t forget Afghanistan.”
Rescuers in Kunar travel dangerous terrain on foot to get to the injured and killed. Video: World Vision
Tearfund Australia Afghanistan partnership manager Clint Westig said there was a lot of concern among donors regarding Afghanistan under the current regime.
“In terms of hope, it’s a pretty grim time,” he said. “I think the people are just trying to survive.”
Read more: ‘Lower than Russia’: Tearfund Australia calls for foreign aid action
Mr Westig said the recovery effort was dangerous with landslides blocking roads and trying to dig through the rubble.
He said there were a lot of funerals and burials to organise while trying to look after the injured and get enough food to eat.
Mr Westig said more than 9 million people in Afghanistan were food insecure. The security was worse for the 2 million people who had been forcibly returned to Afghanistan by Iran and Pakistan.
He said while western countries have concerns regarding the Taliban and civil rights, the regime was doing everything possible to support people following the earthquake.
“They’re very much asking for international support,” he said. “They’re acknowledging the significant problems their country is facing and that there’s a lot more than they have the capacity to deal with.”
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