Kabul, Afghanistan, 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.

Building on these initial efforts, AKDN has prioritised emergency shelter and water, sanitation and hygiene support, installing temporary latrines and distributing hygiene packages to the most vulnerable families. Mobile health teams including doctors, nurses and intensive care specialists are operating in Kunar to provide urgent medical care, with ambulances deployed to evacuate injured individuals to health posts and hospitals. To date, 148 injured people have received treatment.

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.

While immediate relief is underway, greater resources and long-term commitment will be essential. Countries, multilateral organisations, donors, UN agencies and international NGOs have pledged or expressed readiness to provide financial assistance, essential supplies, search and rescue deployments, and needs assessment support. These contributions will help meet urgent humanitarian needs and inform mid- and longer-term recovery efforts.

AKDN teams are actively participating in coordination meetings at local, provincial and national levels to align emergency response efforts. Ongoing priorities include:

• Continuing specialised search and rescue operations;
• Expanding medical support to affected individuals;
• Supporting camp management and transport of injured persons to health facilities; and
• Accelerating assessments to identify urgent needs and inform longer-term recovery programmes.

AKDN has worked in Afghanistan since 1996, providing more than $1 billion in development assistance. Our programmes span humanitarian, economic, social and cultural fields, reaching over three million people across 34 provinces. From restoring historic sites to supporting entrepreneurs and strengthening local institutions, we partner with Afghan communities to build resilience and promote long-term stability. These longstanding efforts underpin our support to communities affected by the recent earthquake.

For more information, please contact:

Sayed Ahmad Sahim
Head of Emergency Management, AKAH Afghanistan
[email protected]

Aliya Mohamed
Communications, AKDN Global
[email protected]