Published November 6, 2025
Survivors of the devastating earthquake that destroyed homes in Afghanistan are now struggling to find shelter as they battle heavy rain and the approaching cold of winter.
Their concerns are echoed by those who survived an even more devastating earthquake two months ago.
A magnitude 6.3 earthquake recently struck the northern provinces of Samangan and Balkh, killing at least 27 people, Taliban officials said.
In Samangan’s Qurum district, where the earthquake occurred, a resident named Gulabdin is mourning his daughter-in-law, who was unable to flee her family home in time. Grabadin himself suffered head injuries from falling debris.
“We lost all our belongings,” he told AFP news agency. “Winter is coming. We have children aged 4 and 5. Where can we go? Right now we are staying with relatives for a couple of nights.”
The rain turned the dirt road into a quagmire around collapsed walls and collapsed roofs. A shallow magnitude 6.0 earthquake in late August killed more than 2,200 people, making it the deadliest in Afghanistan’s recent history. Similar destruction was seen in eastern Afghanistan.
In Mazar Dara, a mountain village in Kunar province, Bazarga Safai witnessed children being swept away during the recent earthquake. Two months later, she fears more deaths from the cold.
Safai, a 50-year-old farmer who lost two relatives in the last earthquake, is currently living in a tent with 15 people, including 12 children. “We were given tents, but they are not suitable for winter,” she explained.
Most villagers are sleeping outside in gardens or terraces, afraid to remain in their damaged homes as aftershocks continue. They face impending temperatures reaching minus 20 degrees Celsius (minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit) without proper winter clothing or blankets.
“The earthquake occurred in the summer, and groups provided aid based on their needs at the time,” explained Najibullah Hanafi, a Taliban intelligence official in Kunar. “Winter is coming and we need clothes and things to survive the cold.”
Despite the difficult situation, international aid agencies have warned that aid will be limited as major donors, led by the US government, withdraw funds.
A camp has been set up at the foot of Mount Mazar Dara, but the International Organization for Migration reports that 77% of survivors plan to remain there through the winter because they cannot afford to migrate or have nowhere else to go.
For many people, rebuilding their homes to be more durable is the only option, even if it means abandoning traditional stone construction. Taliban authorities claim to be building dozens of new homes in Mazar Dara, but journalists saw only one bulldozer clearing the rubble.
“We need to rebuild it the right way, using concrete and bricks,” said Saeed Wali Safai, 27, a farmer.
Resident Awal Jan added: “We want to rebuild the house in the same place, but not in the same way. If we don’t want the house to collapse again, concrete is the only option.”
