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25,000 children still living in tents six months after deadly Kunar quake, says aid group
Six months after a massive earthquake devastated eastern Afghanistan, about 25,000 children in Kunar province are still living in tents with no clear timeline for reconstruction, the aid group Save the Children said in a statement on Thursday.
The 31 August earthquake—one of the deadliest to strike Afghanistan—killed more than 2,000 people and damaged or destroyed over 8,000 homes, leaving families in makeshift shelters that have since been battered by winter snowfall. Reconstruction in the mountainous region has barely begun, and some villages may never be rebuilt, the organisation said.
More than half of nearly 1,300 assessed classrooms were destroyed or heavily damaged. Construction on schools has yet to start, leaving around 17,000 students studying in temporary learning spaces.
More than 6,000 displaced families continue to rely on humanitarian support after losing their homes and incomes, which previously averaged US$75–120 a month from agriculture and small-scale work. Many now depend entirely on cash assistance.
Bujar Hoxha, Country Director for Save the Children in Afghanistan, said: “As needs across Afghanistan continue to rise while funding declines, we cannot allow the communities devastated by the earthquake to be left behind. Families need hope that their shattered lives can be rebuilt, and that requires sustained funding.”
The housing crisis has intensified as more than 2.9 million Afghans returned from Iran and Pakistan in 2025, with some settling in areas hit by the quake.
The United Nations estimates about 4.2 million people across Afghanistan need shelter support this year.
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has condemned the deadly bombing at a cafe in the Syrian capital, Damascus, that killed at least nine people and injured 20 others.
In a statement issued by Foreign Ministry spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi, the Islamic Emirate described the attack as a violation of Islamic and humanitarian values, saying attacks targeting civilians are unacceptable.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan strongly condemns the attack on a cafe in the capital of the Syrian Arab Republic, Damascus, which resulted in the martyrdom and injury of several civilians,” the statement said.
The ministry added that such incidents pose a serious challenge to Syria’s security and stability.
According to Syrian authorities, the blast occurred on Thursday at a cafe near the Palace of Justice in central Damascus. The Interior Ministry said a crudely made explosive device weighing about one kilogram and packed with metal shrapnel caused the explosion, killing nine people and wounding 20 others.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.
Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi met with Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Thursday in Tehran during an official visit.
According to Iranian media reports, the two diplomats discussed bilateral relations, recent regional developments, and issues of mutual interest.
Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund, Prime Minister of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), has inspected the construction work of the second lane of the Kabul–Jalalabad highway, Arg said on Thursday.
According to Arg’s statement , the Prime Minister visited the project site earlier in the day and expressed appreciation for the efforts of the Ministry of Public Works, project officials, and private contracting companies involved in the construction process. He also issued directives for the timely and high-quality completion of the project.
Akhund said the completion of the highway would significantly improve transportation facilities, transit operations, passenger movement, and contribute to economic growth in the surrounding regions.
Officials report that construction work on the second section of the project, covering 32 kilometers from the Kabul side, is currently about 20 percent complete.
Meanwhile, work on the first 22-kilometer section from the Nangarhar side is also ongoing. Surveying and design work for the third section is being carried out by a private company, with construction expected to begin after completion of the preparatory phase.
The Kabul–Jalalabad second-lane highway is regarded as one of Afghanistan’s key transport and economic infrastructure projects and is being developed in three phases.
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