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With little aid, Afghanistan’s quakes spell ‘inter-generational’ crisis
Earthquakes that flattened villages in eastern Afghanistan on August 31, destroyed homes and livestock, the only assets owned by most families, and left survivors with almost nothing to rebuild as aid runs thin, Reuters reported on Thursday.
At least 2,200 people were killed and more than half a million affected when a powerful earthquake struck the region on the night of August 31 followed by a series of strong aftershocks. The quakes have left tens of thousands of people homeless, with some fearing further landslides.
Abdul Ghafar, 52, has been living with his family of 10 under a tarpaulin in Bamba Kot, a village in Afghanistan’s eastern Nangarhar province, since the quakes struck. The walls of his stone house are cracked, ceilings have collapsed and rubble covers the floor, forcing the family to sleep outside.
“We only need one tent,” he said, adding that officials refused to register his damaged house as uninhabitable.
For many families in rural Afghanistan, homes, land and livestock are all they can call their own.
“In Afghanistan, households store wealth in homes, land and livestock, so when earthquakes destroy these assets, entire balance sheets collapse overnight,” said Jennifer Brick Murtazashvili, a professor at the University of Pittsburgh who specialises in governance in fragile states.
Stephen Rodriques, UNDP’s Resident Representative in Afghanistan, said more than 1.3 million animals were affected in the worst-hit Nangarhar and Kunar provinces, with grain stores and irrigation systems destroyed, threatening food supplies and the next planting season.
More than 7,000 livestock were killed and seven irrigation systems destroyed, with others damaged, according to the Norwegian Refugee Council.
“When those inputs vanish, you see less production, higher food prices and long-term harm to nutrition and health, especially for the poorest households,” said Ilan Noy, chair in the Economics of Disasters and Climate Change at Victoria University in Wellington.
“Without financing, the recovery will take much longer, and will create long-term cascades of consequences from this event that can continue for a very long time, possibly inter-generationally,” he said.
Looming winter raises further concerns
IEA authorities say more than 6,700 homes were destroyed and that families remain in tents as aftershocks persist.
Thomas Barfield, author and president of the American Institute of Afghanistan Studies, said the coming winter would worsen the crisis and that decades of war and migration mean fewer relatives remain to help rebuild.
The quakes add gloom to an economy battered by sanctions, frozen assets and aid cuts since the IEA takeover in 2021, while over 2 million deportations from Pakistan and Iran this year have further strained food and housing.
“Construction was a huge employer that disappeared after the Taliban (IEA) takeover, the NGO sector is shrinking with aid cuts, and even the public sector is under strain,” said Ibraheem Bahiss of the International Crisis Group.
“Every year brings droughts and floods, and now earthquakes on top of that, compounding the tragedy Afghans face.”
The United Nations has appealed for $140 million in aid, but pledges lag as donors focus on Gaza and Ukraine and resist funding the IEA because of its curbs on women aid workers.
Some aid has trickled in following the earthquake, from tents to food supplies, but it is not nearly enough, analysts said.
“Emergency aid is a wet towel in a forest fire, it won’t bridge the gap,” said Obaidullah Baheer, an adjunct lecturer at a university in Kabul. He warned that aid flows have already dropped steeply in a country reliant on them for two decades, and that “the real impact will only start to show next year.”
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Afghan officials join ICESCO meeting, discuss preservation of Islamic manuscripts
Participants underscored the importance of safeguarding these documents, noting that the focus on Mali reflects the manuscripts’ unique cultural and historical value.
Officials from the Ministry of Information and Culture participated in an online scientific meeting organised by the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), focused on the preservation of Islamic manuscripts.
Obaidullah Hanif, Director of the National Archive, and Mohammad Shafiq Ahmadzai, Head of Foreign Relations and Cultural Attachés at the ministry, joined the session held by ICESCO’s Centre for Calligraphy and Manuscripts under the theme “Islamic Manuscripts in the World.”
The meeting examined the condition of Islamic manuscripts in Mali and discussed strategies for their preservation and protection as part of global cultural heritage.
ICESCO representatives highlighted that Mali’s extensive collection of hundreds of thousands of historical manuscripts represents one of the most significant repositories of Islamic civilisation and intellectual history in West Africa.
Participants underscored the importance of safeguarding these documents, noting that the focus on Mali reflects the manuscripts’ unique cultural and historical value.
ICESCO is an intergovernmental organization specializing in the fields of education, science and culture.
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Afghanistan announces over 1,000 education ministry vacancies, prioritises returnees
Officials said the hiring will be conducted transparently, with candidates selected strictly on merit, qualifications, and professional competence.
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Education has announced 1,060 vacant administrative posts across district education departments and regional education zones, to be filled through an open competitive recruitment process.
Officials said the hiring will be conducted transparently, with candidates selected strictly on merit, qualifications, and professional competence. They stressed that ethnic or regional considerations will not play any role in the selection process.
In a related development, Mohammad Zahid Ahmadzai, Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, said returning refugees will be given priority in employment opportunities. He added that the ministry is working with multiple institutions to broaden job creation across the country.
Education ministry officials noted that the newly advertised posts form part of a revised organisational structure designed to strengthen administrative capacity across 473 districts nationwide.
Rajasthan Royals (RR) bowling coach Shane Bond says his side’s bowlers must start “doing something different” after another disappointing defeat in IPL 2026 left the team slipping down the points table.
RR suffered a heavy loss to Gujarat Titans (GT) on Saturday after conceding more than 200 runs for the fourth straight match. The defeat pushed them down to fifth place with only three league games remaining.
The problems started early when fast bowler Jofra Archer struggled badly in the opening over, needing 11 balls to complete it after bowling a no-ball and several wides. The over cost RR 18 runs and set the tone for another difficult evening.
Former New Zealand pacer Mitchell McClenaghan said Archer appeared rusty after the team’s eight-day break and suggested Jaipur’s pitches are not helping RR’s pace attack.
Bond admitted RR’s bowling has not adapted well enough to the aggressive batting seen throughout this year’s IPL.
“You’ve got to be doing something different,” Bond said after the match. “Batsmen are developing new shots and putting bowlers under pressure, so bowlers also need to develop new skills and new plans.”
He added that bowlers must improve both their decision-making and execution, while using analysts more effectively to study opposition batting patterns.
Despite their recent slump, RR remain in contention for the playoffs, although their form has become a growing concern after a strong start to the season.
Meanwhile, IPL action continues on Sunday with Chennai Super Kings taking on Lucknow Super Giants in the afternoon match, while Royal Challengers Bengaluru face Mumbai Indians in a high-profile evening clash.
Chennai Super Kings will look to revive their inconsistent campaign against a Lucknow side still fighting for a playoff place, while Bengaluru and Mumbai meet in what could prove crucial in the race for the top four.
Both matches will be broadcast live across Afghanistan on Ariana Television Network.
Tahawol: Afghanistan and Uzbekistan’s growing economic ties discussed
Saar: Afghanistan’s relations with the world discussed
Afghan officials join ICESCO meeting, discuss preservation of Islamic manuscripts
Afghanistan announces over 1,000 education ministry vacancies, prioritises returnees
Afghanistan, Uzbekistan sign 13 trade MoUs worth over $100 million
Bayat Power extends gas supply deal with Afghan Gas
Afghanistan’s new cricket head coach Richard Pybus arrives in Kabul
Afghanistan moves toward self-sufficiency in car battery production
Germany to launch online visa system for Afghan study and work applicants in Pakistan
New Afghanistan-China transport corridor launched via Turkmenistan
Tahawol: Afghanistan and Uzbekistan’s growing economic ties discussed
Saar: Afghanistan’s relations with the world discussed
Tahawol: Discussion on unknown fate of Middle East crisis
Saar: Problems and challenges of Afghan refugees in the world discussed
Tawsia: Discussion on Afghanistan’s economic path and position
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