800 Killed, Thousands Hurt in Afghanistan Earthquake as Taliban Requests Global Aid

More than 800 people are dead and thousands injured after a powerful earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan a humanitarian tragedy worsened by Taliban mismanagement, decaying infrastructure, and a nation isolated from the world due to extremist rule.

The 6.0-magnitude quake struck around midnight near the border with Pakistan, devastating rural areas in Kunar and Nangarhar provinces, where remote villages and mudbrick homes crumbled under the force. Many victims remain trapped or unreachable due to blocked roads, downed power lines, and heavy rains increasing the risk of landslides.

“We need aid because lots of people lost their lives and houses,” said Taliban health ministry spokesman Sharafat Zaman, begging for international assistance.

But the world isn’t rushing in and for good reason.

Since the Taliban seized power in 2021, foreign aid has plummeted. What was once a $3.8 billion lifeline in 2022 has dropped to just $767 million in 2025, thanks to donor fatigue and outrage over the regime’s draconian policies, especially those targeting women and foreign aid workers.

While the Taliban mouths concern for its citizens, it has:

• Banned women from working for aid organizations, crippling delivery of humanitarian relief.

• Allowed foreign-trained extremists to operate freely, triggering instability across the region.

• Undermined trust by refusing transparency with international agencies.

And now, as the regime pleads for assistance, no major Western nation has stepped forward. Only China and India have offered limited support so far Beijing with vague promises and New Delhi with tents and food supplies.

Meanwhile, the U.N. is scrambling to respond with limited resources, trying to reach over 2,800 injured across mountainous terrain without access to proper roads, reliable communication, or functioning local governance. The situation is so dire that rescuers are battling to bury animal carcasses to prevent water contamination and disease outbreaks.

This is the third deadly earthquake under Taliban rule, and the signs of continued decay are unmistakable. Nearly two years after a quake in Herat killed 1,000, many residents are still living in temporary shelters a testament to the regime’s inability to recover or rebuild.

What makes these earthquakes so deadly isn’t just geography. As Professor Richard Walker of the University of Oxford explains, it's the fragile infrastructure, poor construction standards, and sheer number of people living in high-risk zones. In other words, it’s a deadly combination of nature and Taliban-era negligence.

The Taliban wants global sympathy without global accountability. But until it changes its behavior, lifts restrictions on aid operations, and restores basic human rights, it’s hard to see the international community putting its trust or money into the hands of a regime that’s proven it can’t lead, protect, or rebuild.

A humanitarian crisis is unfolding, but so is a harsh lesson: you can't run a country into the ground, brutalize your people, and expect the world to bail you out.

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