Qatar Charity’s representative in Afghanistan assesses earthquake devastation in Kuner Province

The representative of Qatar Charity (QC) in Afghanistan carried out a field visit to Kuner Province, in coordination with a rescue team from Qatar, to assess the humanitarian impact caused by the ongoing landslides and aftershocks following the powerful earthquake that struck southeastern Afghanistan. The disaster has resulted in thousands of deaths and injuries and has left hundreds of thousands displaced.

This field mission comes as part of Qatar Charity’s preparations to implement its emergency relief interventions, in response to the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian conditions in the affected areas, particularly in Kuner and surrounding provinces.

Following his participation in the field visit to the earthquake-affected Kuner Province, Mr. Mumin Shah, Qatar Charity’s representative in Afghanistan, stated:
“We witnessed overwhelming destruction and immense human suffering. Entire villages were cut off due to landslides and aftershocks, with significant casualties. We observed continuous tremors and landslides during our visits.”

He added: “From both air and ground, we saw widespread devastation, collapsed homes, and displaced communities. Families sat beside the rubble of their homes in mourning, while survivors struggled to cope with severe shortages of food, water, and medical care. We observed families taking their children in hands towards the settled area for seeking shelter and protection.”

In light of the scale of the crisis, Qatar Charity is currently preparing to launch emergency relief efforts expected to include emergency medical care, safe drinking water, temporary shelters, and food baskets, along with sanitation facilities in declared camps.

According to the latest official reports, the death toll has risen to 2,205, while the number of injured has exceeded 3,700, following the 6.0-magnitude earthquake that struck southeastern Afghanistan.

The disaster has caused extensive damage to thousands of homes, particularly in Kuner Province and surrounding areas, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in what is considered one of the most devastating natural disasters the country has witnessed in recent years.