Haunted by the fear that aftershocks could send boulders crashing down from the mountains, Afghan earthquake survivors are refusing to return to their destroyed villages. Instead, they are camping in fields and along riverbanks, despite lacking proper tents for shelter. “We have no shelter, not even a tent,” said Adam Khan, a 67-year-old farmer, standing outside his ruined home in Masud village, located in Afghanistan’s eastern Kunar province, which was flattened by the recent quakes. “It rained last night, we had no place to take cover. Our biggest fear is the big rocks that could come down at any moment.”
Two earthquakes since August 31 have killed more than 2,200 people and injured over 3,600 across the region, destroying thousands of mud-and-stone houses. Aftershocks have triggered new landslides, leaving families trapped between unstable mountains and swollen rivers. Aid agencies have flown in food and supplies by helicopter, but survivors report that the help has been slow and inconsistent. Many villages remain isolated, several hours away from the nearest road. Families are now huddled in makeshift camps with little more than their salvaged belongings.
Farmer Shams-ur-Rahman, who lost six relatives and fled with his family of nine, said, “The tents they gave us cannot even accommodate our children.” He added, “On the way down from the mountain, I had no shoes for my son, so I shared mine with him in turns as we walked down.”
For many, this displacement seems permanent. “Even if there is no earthquake, a simple rainfall could bring rocks crashing down on us,” said Gul Ahmad, 51, standing beside flapping pop-up tents. “We will not go back. The government must provide us a place.”
Humanitarian groups warn that without adequate shelter, sanitation, and food, the existing trauma could lead to the spread of disease and deepen poverty in one of the world’s most quake-prone countries. Children are among the worst affected. Twelve-year-old Sadiq, who survived for 11 hours trapped under rubble, quietly stated, “I thought I would die. It felt like doomsday.”
Meanwhile, at the United Nations, Shannon O’Hara, Head of Strategy and Coordination for OCHA Afghanistan, is set to provide a virtual briefing on the ongoing humanitarian response to the earthquakes.
