Kabul, 5 September 2025 – The Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) has mobilised an emergency response following the 6.0-magnitude earthquake that struck Afghanistan on 31 August. The epicentre of the disaster was in Kunar Province, with heavy impacts also reported in neighbouring Nangarhar, where the earthquake has destroyed homes and water sources, damaged livelihoods and left thousands of families exposed and vulnerable in already fragile conditions.
AKDN’s health teams and specialised search and rescue teams reached the most affected areas in the earliest hours after the earthquake. Since then, they have been providing emergency medical care, conducting life-saving search and rescue operations, and distributing non-food items (including tents, tarpaulins, kitchen kits and hygiene kits) as well as emergency food assistance to support families who have lost their homes and belongings.
Teams are responding under challenging conditions, including damaged roads, restricted access to some districts and limited availability of air transport, which complicates the delivery of aid to hard-to-reach areas.
AKDN is working closely with partners and other humanitarian actors on the ground, mobilising resources and technical expertise to strengthen life-saving efforts. Government authorities have facilitated critical evacuations, including the deployment of helicopters from Jalalabad airport in Nangarhar, which have transported hundreds of injured individuals to hospitals.
More information at AKDN
Ismailimail 