“My Village is a Graveyard”: Afghanistan’s 6.0 Magnitude Earthquake Tragedy

By Mir-Aedrees Sekandari

Villagers, farmers, and residents stand as destroyed homes and debris fill the background. [Mahmood Doost / ESONA Relief Fund]

On August 31st, 2025, a 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck Eastern Afghanistan. In just seconds, homes turned to rubble, villages lost countless lives, and families were left with nothing. As per the status quo, more than 2,200 people were killed, and over 3,800 injured. Nearly 6,700 homes were destroyed/damaged across a total of 441 villages (excluding unknown/undocumented villages). In total, close to half a million people have been impacted.

Yet, behind these numbers are real lives. Families now are forced to sleep outside in camps, out in the open, without any food, medicine, or safe shelter. Stoori, a farmer who lost his wife in the incident, stated, “my village is a graveyard,” after losing more than 12 community members to the quake.

“I barely had enough time to pull out the body of my dead wife and place her on the rubble of our collapsed home before my children and I were evacuated,” the 40-year-old farmer says.

Rows of white shrouds mark the lives lost in this terrible disaster. [Mahmood Doost / ESONA Relief Fund]

The challenges are growing more and more each day. Roads are blocked by rubble and fallen trees, making it hard for what little aid Afghanistan has, to reach remote villages. Winter is quickly approaching, and thousands of people are still without shelter or basic necessities.

Countless children, infants, and babies have lost their lives in the earthquake. [Mahmood Doost / ESONA Relief Fund]

Beyond the immediate destruction, the earthquake is now rooted in the daily life of these Afghans. Certain schools have broken down, completely cutting children off from education. Farms and markets have also been completely destroyed, leaving families without an ability to gain income or make food. For many, the path to recovery will be lengthy. With female foreign aid helpers being prohibited from assisting the Afghan people due to the Taliban, new problems arise.

This disaster really is not just about statistics or numbers, it is about the people who need our urgent support. Afghanistan needs the world’s attention and support now more than ever.

Sources: Al Jazeera News, NBC News