A powerful earthquake in the eastern Afghan province of Kunar reportedly killed more than 800 people and injured over 2,000. Cordaid’s local partners are on the ground, supporting UN-led teams as they assess the damage and identify needs. This is a crucial first step toward targeted emergency relief.
The earthquake struck on Sunday evening, 31 August, with a magnitude of 6.0 on the Richter scale, followed by multiple aftershocks. Kunar Province, situated on the border with Pakistan, was the most severely affected area. Due to previous flooding, many roads are already damaged, making access extremely difficult.
Heartbreaking
‘It is heartbreaking,’ says Latif Bashardost, Cordaid’s Country Director in Kabul. ‘There is a strikingly high number of women and children who this tragedy has hit. We fear that the toll will rise even further.’
‘Currently, twenty humanitarian assessment teams are active in the area,’ Bashardost continues. ‘Together with our partners, we are taking part in these efforts. We are mapping the needs so we can act quickly and effectively as soon as the relief operation begins.’
‘We are already there. We are ready to provide assistance as soon as possible.‘
Local presence and partnerships
Cordaid has been active in Afghanistan for many years and has a strong presence in fragile regions such as Kunar and Nangarhar. Cordaid is also part of Caritas Internationalis and the Dutch Relief Alliance, a coalition of Dutch humanitarian organisations funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. These collaborations enable rapid and coordinated humanitarian action.
‘Especially in a crisis like this, local presence and partnerships are vital,’ says Susanne Heukensfeldt Jansen, Cordaid’s humanitarian expert. ‘We are already there. And we are ready to provide assistance as soon as possible, with mixed teams of men and women to support everyone in the best possible way.’