Afghan earthquake survivors refuse to return to villages, fearing landslides
Survivors of last week’s deadly earthquakes in Afghanistan’s eastern Kunar and Nangarhar provinces say they will not return to their mountain villages, fearing further landslides triggered by aftershocks and rain.
More than 2,200 people were killed and over 3,600 injured when twin quakes struck on Sept. 1, flattening thousands of mud-and-stone homes. Aftershocks triggered new rockslides, forcing families to abandon their villages for open fields and riverbanks, often without tents or shelter, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
“We have no shelter, not even a tent,” said Adam Khan, a 67-year-old farmer from Masud village. “Our biggest fear is the big rocks that could come down at any moment.”
Aid deliveries by helicopter have reached some remote areas, but survivors say assistance is slow and insufficient. Families sit in makeshift roadside camps, with many sharing shoes, food, and minimal supplies.
“Even if there is no earthquake, a simple rainfall could bring rocks crashing down,” said Gul Ahmad, 51. “We will not go back. The government must provide us a place.”
Aid groups warn that without proper shelter, sanitation, and food, survivors — especially children — face heightened risks of trauma, disease, and poverty in one of the world’s most quake-prone nations.
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