Following a powerful magnitude 6.0 earthquake that struck eastern Afghanistan late Sunday, rescue and relief efforts are being hampered by aftershocks, blocked roads, and widespread destruction, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said.
Amy Martin, OCHA’s head of office in Afghanistan, told Anadolu Agency (AA) that Kunar province has been particularly devastated, with entire villages reduced to rubble.
“It’s a very mountainous, rural area with small communities. Most of the structures were made of mud and stone and simply could not withstand a shallow quake of this magnitude,” Martin said.
The earthquake shook at least four eastern provinces – Nangarhar, Laghman, Panjshir, and Kunar – with Kunar reporting the majority of fatalities.
Martin described the crisis as both devastating and urgent, noting that relief and assessment teams are struggling to reach some of the most isolated villages.
