Why is Afghanistan prone to earthquakes?

In August 2025, eastern Afghanistan was struck by its deadliest earthquake in almost 30 years, devastating whole communities and destroying lives, homes and livelihoods. It is estimated that over 2,200 people have lost their lives and over 3,600 people have been severely injured. In November 2025, a 6.3 magnitude earthquake then struck Samangan province in Northern Afghanistan, destroying hundreds of homes and leaving whole communities facing increased difficulties.

During the first two weeks of October 2023, a series of devastating earthquakes also struck north west Afghanistan, claiming the lives of 1,500 people. According to the UN, this series of disasters in 2023 affected 1.6 million people, with 114,000 needing urgent humanitarian assistance. It is estimated that since 1990, at least 355 earthquakes with a magnitude higher than 5.0 have hit Afghanistan.

But what makes earthquakes so common in Afghanistan, and so destructive?  

1. The geography of Afghanistan

Afghanistan sits on numerous fault lines between the Indian and the Eurasian tectonic plates, with fault lines running directly through Herat, the site of the 2023 disaster, and Kunar, where some of the most recent quakes occurred. 

Most often, Afghanistan’s largest earthquakes strike in regions of Afghanistan where these mountains lie, which can causes additional landslides, but seismic activity can also occur in the country’s lowlands. 

When earthquakes strike, their magnitude is important but also their depth, with shallow earthquakes wrecking more damage than those deeper into the Earth. Afghanistan is unfortunately prone to these shallow earthquakes, due to the region's tectonic plates often slipping past one another, as opposed to colliding directly. 

2. Infrastructure

With 21,500 homes destroyed and over 17,000 other buildings damaged in 2023's Herat earthquakes, it is evident that the effects of these natural disasters on Afghan infrastructure has been wide-ranging, and only exacerbates cycles of poverty and displacement. Decades of conflict, natural disasters and poverty have all taken its toll on Afghan infrastructure, with many buildings already damaged, and thus ill-equipped to deal with quakes or shocks. 

Additionally, when earthquakes strike it is rural regions where the damage is most often at its peak. These remote, underserved communities often live in homes called qal-ahs that are built from less robust materials such as mudbrick, heightening their vulnerability.

Due to the isolation of these villages, ensuring rapid support from humanitarian organisations and government bodies can be difficult. Often, these disasters damage crucial transport links and roads out of the community, making it difficult to access emergency services, or immediately notify surrounding areas of the damage. In Kunar province, the epicentre of the 2025 quakes, the full extent of the damage is not yet known due to many village's geographical isolation, and the fact that already dangerous mountain roads have been damaged or blocked by falling rocks.

3. An already dire humanitarian crisis

When disasters like earthquakes hit, they can worsen existing crises, and this is especially true in Afghanistan, where communities have already been tackling severe food insecurity, unemployment, economic collapse, floods and droughts, and restrictions on the freedoms of women and girls. Currently, 22.9 million people already require humanitarian assistance. 

When these already stretched households lose family members, homes and livelihoods, it further diminishes their ability to recover and rebuild. To support them through these exceptionally challenging times, our teams work alongside these vulnerable communities to ensure they can meet their basic needs, whilst also increasing their ability to once more earn an income, and get back on their feet. 

How can I help families affected by earthquakes?

By donating to our emergency appeal, you can bring vital support to the families that need it most, whilst demonstrating your unwavering support to the communities of Herat province: 

Please select a donation amount (required)

£74 could provide an essential household kit to a displaced family, including cooking utensils, soap and a solar lamp.

£100 could provide emergency shelter for a family who have lost their home.

£516 could purchase 6 months worth of emergency food for a family to help them make it through crisis.

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