Children remain in urgent need after powerful earthquake in eastern Afghanistan
UNICEF and partners are on the ground responding with support for children and families.
Children make up more than half of all deaths in the aftermath of the powerful earthquake that struck eastern Afghanistan on 31 August 2025. Thousands of homes have been damaged or destroyed. Overall, more than half a million people have been impacted. Behind these numbers are children left standing alone in the rubble and families torn apart in the blink of an eye. In times like these, it is children who suffer first and suffer most.
UNICEF teams are on the ground in the affected areas, working with local partners and UN agencies to respond rapidly to urgent needs.
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How is UNICEF helping children affected by the earthquake?
UNICEF is staying and delivering. Despite the affected districts being extremely difficult to access, with steep terrain, limited road access, and fragile infrastructure, UNICEF is working with partners to ensure that children and families receive life-saving assistance as quickly as possible.
UNICEF rapidly mobilized surge teams, supplies and resources to address urgent needs in earthquake-affected areas. Support from UNICEF and its partners includes:
- Providing emergency health care through mobile health and nutrition teams delivering trauma care and offering maternal and newborn services and essential medicines.
- Screening and treating children for acute malnutrition, as cases are rising sharply across earthquake-affected provinces due to displacement and limited access to food.
- Delivering millions of litres of clean water through trucking.
- Continuing to rehabilitate sustainable water systems, installing emergency water points, and building toilets to ensure families have clean water and remain protected from outbreaks of acute watery diarrhoea.
- Establishing child-friendly spaces and deploying female counsellors in health clinics to provide psychosocial support to girls and women.
- Delivering textbooks, school bags, whiteboards, markers, and recreational kits to help children restart their education.
- Delivering emergency cash assistance to vulnerable households so families can meet urgent needs and prepare for the harsh winter.
Afghanistan’s children were already facing one of the world’s toughest humanitarian crises. Now, the earthquake has taken away homes, safety and loved ones, pushing children into even greater need of care and protection. Most of the affected population are sheltering in the open, with thousands of households now living in tents. With night temperatures already dropping in the mountains, the risk of hypothermia looms large, especially for children.
UNICEF has launched a $22 million appeal to reach 400,000 people affected by the earthquake – including more than 212,000 children – over the next six months. With sufficient support, and through close coordination with national and local partners, we can save lives, protect children, and help families begin to recover with dignity.
Latest updates and UNICEF response
On the ground, before, during and after an emergency
UNICEF is on the ground before, during, and after emergencies, working to reach children and families with lifesaving aid and long-term assistance. With a presence in over 190 countries and territories, UNICEF works with governments and other partners to mobilize a rapid and efficient response when disaster strikes.
UNICEF has been in Afghanistan for more than 65 years, one of the longest-serving international organizations in the country.