Afghanistan hit by second powerful quake as death toll exceeds 1,400

An earthquake of magnitude 5.5 shook southeastern Afghanistan on Tuesday, sparking fears of further damage and destruction almost two days after a large quake in the same region killed more than 1,400 people and injured thousands more.

Residents and rescue workers in southeastern Afghanistan continue to search for survivors in the ruins of homes and villages, flattened by Sunday's magnitude 6.0 earthquake. On Tuesday, the region was hit by a powerful 5.5 magnitude aftershock, sparking fears of more damage and more deaths.  

The death toll from Sunday has already exceeded 1,400, with more than 3,500 people injured, the ruling Taliban said on Tuesday. More than 5,000 houses have been destroyed.  

Rough terrain was hampering rescue and relief efforts, forcing Taliban authorities to air drop dozens of commandos to evacuate the injured from places where helicopters cannot land. 

The United Nations has vowed to “spare no efforts to assist people," but warned that the current level of humanitarian funding is insufficient.  

"We are already supporting the response by deploying critical items to areas that can be reached," Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, said at a press briefing on Tuesday. "For example, our colleagues at UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, are deploying prepositioned essential relief items from stockpiles in Kabul that includes tents, that also includes blankets and solar lamps." 

The United Kingdom has pledged over a million dollars to humanitarian agencies avoiding the Taliban government, which it does not recognize.  

The European Union will provide a similar amount and send 130 tons of emergency supplies. Other countries, including the United Arab Emirates, India and China have pledged disaster relief support. 

It is the third major earthquake to hit Afghanistan since the Taliban seized power in 2021. It’s the latest crisis for a country reeling from deep cuts to aid funding, a weak economy, and millions of people forcibly returned from Iran and Pakistan.  

The Taliban government, which is only recognized by Russia, has appealed for assistance from the international community and the humanitarian sector.