On 31 August 2025, a powerful earthquake measuring over 6.0 magnitude struck Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan, near the Pakistan border. The tremors reverberated across Kunar, Laghman, Nuristan, and even Kabul, followed by multiple aftershocks. Three major aftershocks hit the same districts in Kunar Province already affected by the initial quake: one on 2 September (magnitude 5.3) and two on 4 September (5.6 and 5.2). They caused further casualties and damage to shelters and roads.
An emergency response to help the thousands of injured
Preliminary reports confirm over 2,205 fatalities and over 3,640 injuries across four provinces. Rescue efforts remain hampered as many victims are in remote, mountainous areas where landslides have blocked access. An estimated 6,782 homes have been destroyed, with Chapa Dara, Chawkay, Dara-e-Pech, Nurgal, and Watapur districts in Kunar Province and Dara-e-Nur in Nangarhar among the worst affected.
In response, humanitarian partners have rapidly mobilised. 25 interagency emergency assessment teams have been deployed to the hardest-hit communities. Leveraging its long-standing field presence, Acted immediately joined joint assessments in five districts of Nangarhar and Kunar. In Nurgal district (Kunar Province) alone, more than 16,860 individuals were affected, with 3,128 shelters damaged or destroyed.
Acted’s field teams remain active on the ground, coordinating with other humanitarian partners and delivering urgent relief.
Needs assessment
Immediate Priority Needs include:
- Multi-purpose cash assistance (MPCA) to cover immediate survival needs, including food, medicine, and transport.
- Emergency Shelter: in the initial days of the response, humanitarian partners swiftly mobilised and transported emergency shelter to the hardest-hit communities.
- Winterization kits: to complement the distribution of emergency tents, given the transition to winter.
- WASH: water trucking, emergency sanitation facilities, distribution of WASH kits, and hygiene promotion activities.
- Health Services: Urgent medical care is required to respond to the high number of injuries.
Since 1993, Acted has provided life-saving assistance and basic services across Afghanistan, with a strong presence in the North, West, and East. Operations are managed from Kabul, with an area office operational in Nangarhar (2016) and an office in Kunar which was operational until June 2025. Through years of implementing emergency and basic needs projects, Acted has built strong community trust and acceptance in both provinces, enabling rapid and effective response.