(Adnkronos) – In Afghanistan’s Kunar province, approximately 25,000 children are still living in tents, six months after a violent earthquake destroyed lives, livelihoods, homes, and schools, all of which still need to be rebuilt, with no certain timeline. This is stated by Save the Children, the international organization that has been fighting for over 100 years to save children’s lives and ensure their future.
The earthquake in eastern Afghanistan last August 31 was one of the deadliest to ever hit the country, causing the death of more than 2,000 people, destroying or damaging over 8,000 homes, and forcing children and families to live in tents, some of which were also damaged by recent heavy snowfalls. In this remote region, families rely on traditional wood or coal stoves for heating inside tarpaulin tents, exposing themselves to fire risk. The reconstruction of homes in the mountainous region has just begun, and the level of destruction in some villages is so extensive that they will never be rebuilt. A large part of school buildings has been destroyed: over half of the approximately 1,300 schools examined by the Organization are now totally or partially unusable. The situation is particularly serious in an area where, even before the earthquake, access to education was uneven, and approximately 50,000 children were not attending school.
Reconstruction work in damaged or destroyed classrooms has not yet begun, and approximately 17,000 children from affected schools are studying in temporary spaces. Over 6,000 families living in Kunar camps continue to depend on aid and assistance after losing their homes and income. Before the earthquake, these families earned between 75 and 120 dollars a month through agriculture, livestock farming, and other small household jobs, but now they depend on cash subsidies.
“Six months after the earthquake that destroyed lives and communities, children are still living and learning in tents. It is crucial that schools and homes are rebuilt. Families in Kunar fear being forgotten. They depend on aid from Save the Children and other humanitarian organizations, and it is unlikely that this situation will change in the coming months. As needs across Afghanistan continue to increase while funding decreases, we cannot allow earthquake-devastated communities to be left behind. Families need hope that their shattered lives can be rebuilt, and this requires sustained funding,” said Bujar Hoxha, Save the Children’s Afghanistan Country Director.
The need for funding in eastern Afghanistan continues to be immense, but aid is limited, the Organization reports. In 2025 alone, over 2.9 million Afghans returned to the country from Iran and Pakistan, some of whom settled in the same earthquake-devastated region. According to the United Nations, approximately 4.2 million people across Afghanistan need shelter support this year. Save the Children operates in the affected provinces and was among the first international organizations to respond to the Kunar earthquake, where most of the casualties occurred.
The Organization has so far set up 30 temporary learning spaces for nearly 1,500 children and also provides healthcare, water and sanitation services, shelter, household and hygiene kits, economic support, and psychosocial support for children in childcare centers. To date, it has supported nearly 89,000 people in the earthquake-affected areas, including approximately 34,000 children. Save the Children has been working in Afghanistan since 1976, even during periods of conflict and natural disasters. It has programs in 9 provinces and collaborates with partners in another 11 provinces. It provides services ranging from health, nutrition, education, child protection, shelter, water, sanitation, hygiene, and livelihoods.
