Over Half of Earthquake Deaths in Afghanistan Are Children, Warns UNICEF as Humanitarian Crisis Deepens. 

KABUL:

More than half of the fatalities caused by the devastating earthquake that struck eastern Afghanistan on 31 August were children, according to a heart-wrenching update from UNICEF delivered today in Geneva. Dr. Tajudeen Oyewale, UNICEF’s Country Representative in Afghanistan, confirmed during a media briefing at the Palais des Nations that at least 1,172 children have died so far — highlighting the disproportionate toll the disaster is taking on the country’s youngest and most vulnerable.

The earthquake, which hit Kunar and Nangarhar provinces, has killed at least 2,164 people, injured 3,428, and destroyed or damaged over 6,700 homes. An estimated 263,000 children are among the over half a million people affected, many of whom are now homeless, orphaned, or severely traumatized.

“Afghanistan is once again reeling from tragedy, and children are at the sharp end of an aggravating crisis,” said Dr. Oyewale. “They are bearing the heaviest burden.”

Orphaned, Injured, and Alone

The crisis has left 271 children newly orphaned, while 45 have been separated from their families, according to UNICEF’s latest assessments. Aid workers on the ground have encountered scenes of devastation and heartbreak, with entire families wiped out and children found wandering alone through rubble-strewn villages.

Dr. Oyewale described visiting the remote village of Machkandol in Nangarhar, where he met three young sisters and a boy amid the debris. The boy’s fingers were broken during his rescue, and the children were disoriented, having lost their home, parents, and even livestock. In a field trauma hospital in Khas Kunar, he encountered a five-year-old girl caring for her injured two-year-old sister, both praying for their mother’s survival after she sustained multiple fractures.

“It was truly heartbreaking,” Dr. Oyewale recalled. “Children are grieving, injured, and left with nothing — not even the comfort of knowing their families are alive.”

Accessing Remote Areas ‘A Real Challenge’

Delivering aid remains a formidable challenge due to Afghanistan’s mountainous terrain, fragile infrastructure, and limited road access. Travel from Jalalabad to Machkandol took over three and a half hours, with only 40 minutes on paved roads. Other affected regions are even harder to reach.

Despite these obstacles, UNICEF teams have been on the ground since day one, working in partnership with local authorities and humanitarian organizations to deliver life-saving assistance.

“UNICEF is literally going the extra mile,” Dr. Oyewale said, highlighting the efforts of staff navigating landslides, damaged roads, and security risks to reach isolated communities.

Children Face Escalating Risks

In addition to immediate physical injuries, children are grappling with multiple secondary risks. These include:

• Untreated injuries due to overwhelmed medical facilities.
• Unsafe drinking water and poor sanitation, increasing risk of disease outbreaks such as acute watery diarrhoea.
• Rising malnutrition caused by displacement and food shortages.
• Severe emotional trauma, especially among orphaned or injured children.
• Disruption of education, particularly for girls, who are already vulnerable to being pulled out of school.
• Heightened risks of child marriage, especially when families lose livelihoods.

“Unless we act now, this crisis will deepen existing inequalities and place disproportionate burdens on girls,” Dr. Oyewale warned.

UNICEF’s Multi-Sectoral Response

UNICEF’s ongoing response includes:

• Emergency health care, trauma treatment, and essential medicines through clinics and mobile teams.
• Maternal and newborn services, including support from frontline polio health workers.
• Malnutrition screening and treatment, as cases spike.
• Installation of clean water systems and emergency toilets to prevent disease outbreaks.
• Psychosocial support via child-friendly spaces and female counsellors to help children and women cope with grief and trauma.
• Emergency cash assistance to help families survive the winter, with a target of supporting 15,000 households.

UNICEF is also deploying female humanitarian workers to overcome social and cultural barriers that might otherwise prevent women and girls from receiving aid.

Urgent Appeal Ahead of Harsh Winter

With harsh winter conditions fast approaching, UNICEF has launched a US$22 million emergency appeal to provide critical assistance to 400,000 people, including over 212,000 children, over the next six months.

“Without urgent action, many children will face freezing conditions without shelter, food, or medical care,” Dr. Oyewale warned. “The clock is ticking.”

A Call to the World: Stand with Afghanistan’s Children

Dr. Oyewale concluded his remarks with an urgent plea to the international community: “Afghanistan’s children must not face this crisis alone. And I know they won’t—not while we have the means to act.”

UNICEF is calling on donors, governments, and humanitarian partners to step up support and ensure that the suffering of Afghanistan’s children does not deepen further into winter. Amid the rubble, there is still hope — but only if the world responds with the urgency, compassion, and resources this catastrophe demands.