One Year After Deadly Earthquake, Kunar Families Still Living in Tents

DID Press: Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) has warned that the humanitarian crisis in eastern Afghanistan’s Kunar province continues one year after a devastating earthquake, with many affected families still lacking adequate shelter and access to safe drinking water.

The organization said its aid teams had revisited earthquake-hit areas of Kunar and met families who continue to live in worn-out tents and temporary shelters.

Jacopo Caridi, the NRC’s regional director for Afghanistan, said only a small number of survivors had managed to find adequate accommodation, while most affected families continued to face difficult living conditions.

He stressed the urgent need for increased humanitarian assistance, warning that without support from aid organizations, affected families would struggle to recover from the disaster and return to normal life.

A magnitude-6 earthquake struck Kunar, Nangarhar, Laghman and parts of neighboring areas in eastern Afghanistan in late August last year. Kunar was among the worst-affected areas. The Taliban authorities reported that more than 2,000 people were killed in the disaster.