Afghan earthquake survivors face winter cold after deadly quakes

"Survivors of a powerful earthquake that demolished homes in Afghanistan are now struggling to find shelter as they contend with heavy rainfall and the looming winter cold. Their concerns are shared by those who survived an even more devastating earthquake two months earlier. The latest magnitude 6.3 tremor struck the northern provinces of Samangan and Balkh, killing at least 27 people, according to Taliban authorities."

"In Samangan's Khulm district, where the earthquake was centred, a resident named Gulabuddin is grieving for his daughter-in-law, who could not escape the family home in time. Gulabuddin himself sustained a head injury from falling debris. We lost all of our belongings, he told the AFP news agency. Winter is coming. We have children aged four and five. Where can we go? For two nights now, we have been staying with relatives."

"In Kunar province's mountainous village of Mazar Dara, Bazarga Safay witnessed children being swept away during that earlier quake. Two months later, she fears cold weather will kill more. Safay, a 50-year-old farmer who lost two relatives in the previous earthquake, now shares a tent with 15 people, including 12 children. We were given a tent, but it's not suitable for winter, she explained. Most villagers sleep outdoors in gardens or on terraces, afraid to stay in damaged houses as aftershocks continue."

Multiple earthquakes have demolished homes across northern and eastern Afghanistan, leaving survivors without shelter as heavy rain and approaching winter set in. A magnitude 6.3 tremor struck Samangan and Balkh, killing at least 27 people. Earlier a shallow magnitude 6.0 quake in late August killed more than 2,200 people. In Kunar province's Mazar Dara, families share overcrowded tents and sleep outdoors to avoid damaged houses and aftershocks. Villagers face temperatures as low as -20°C without adequate winter clothing or blankets. Muddy roads and damaged infrastructure complicate movement and aid delivery. Parents worry for young children and lack options for safe, warm shelter.

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