Islamic Relief is appealing for support to reach communities affected by a powerful earthquake in eastern Afghanistan.

More than 800 people have been confirmed dead and over 2,500 injured after a 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan on 31 August.

Also Read: WHO Responds to Afghanistan Earthquake

Most families were asleep when the quake struck around 11:00pm local time in Kunar province. Children have described waking in terror as homes collapsed around them, and families fled in panic to try and find safety. Multiple aftershocks continued throughout the night.

The numbers of dead and injured are expected to rise as search and rescue efforts continue. Many of the worst-affected areas are remote and mountainous regions. Roads have been blocked by landslides and rescuers have to reach some of the worst-hit villages by foot or evacuate casualties by helicopter.  

“Entire villages have been turned into mud and rubble in Kunar and the death toll is rising every hour. Thankfully Islamic Relief’s team in the affected region is safe and we have now deployed an emergency health team to get urgent aid to survivors,” Ibrahim Ahmed Alhomadi, Islamic Relief’s head of programmes in Afghanistan, says.

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“People have lost everything and desperately need healthcare, food, water and shelter. The affected areas are remote, rural and mountainous, and landslides and floods make it even harder to reach them. These are poor villages and many of the homes are made from mud or flimsy materials that completely collapsed.”

The impact of the quake is particularly severe as the earthquake was very shallow, just 5 miles (8 kilometres) below the surface of the earth.

Islamic Relief is on the ground supporting survivors 

Islamic Relief has deployed an emergency health team to provide critical services to survivors. We will provide essential health services including mother and child healthcare, treatment of injuries, nutritional support, and trauma counselling.

Islamic Relief has worked in Afghanistan for over 20 years. Last year we supported more than 636,000 people in 20 of the country’s 34 provinces, providing aid including food, nutrition, healthcare, education and sustainable livelihoods.

In the earthquake-affected provinces of Kunar and Nangarhar we support farmers to improve agricultural production and help small businesses to thrive. Islamic Relief has also provided support in response to the earthquakes in Paktika and Herat.

This earthquake comes as people in Afghanistan are already struggling to cope with widespread drought and the impact of global cuts to humanitarian aid, which have resulted in the closure of essential services such as health facilities and nutrition centres.

You can help families devastated by the earthquake in Afghanistan: Donate to our Afghanistan Earthquake Appeal now.