Rebuilding in earthquake-hit Afghanistan

“It was close to midnight when the ground shook,” recalls Suliman, a farmer from Shumash, a village in the Afghan province of Kunar. “It felt like Judgment Day. People were screaming, homes were collapsing, and in an instant, we lost everything - our families, our fields, even our animals.”

On the night of 31 August 2025, a 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan near the border with Pakistan. Violent aftershocks triggered landslides and blocked roads, cutting off remote communities still reeling from heavy rains and years of hardship.

In Suliman’s village, home to nearly 800 families, not a single house remains habitable. Some are hosted under tents in open fields; others moved to temporary camps. Suliman says most families had 10 to 15 animals. Now, they are left with just two or three.

“Many were crushed under rubble or swept away by landslides. Without them, we lose not just food, but also the little income we had,” he says.

Further south, in the province of Nangarhar, Habibullah surveys the ruins of his village, Atran.

“The earthquake destroyed everything,” Habibullah says. “Our maize fields are damaged, the water channel is in ruins, and even the fruit trees have dried up. Our animals died too; their shelters are destroyed. With winter coming, we fear losing the few that remain.”

Like with Suliman and Habibullah, the earthquake struck communities already facing years of drought, seasonal floods and economic hardship. For returnee families, who had only just come back with little to start over, the disaster has been especially harsh. Even before 31 August, nearly 950 000 people in these provinces were projected to face acute food insecurity. That figure is now expected to rise sharply.

Rapid response

In a region where agriculture and livestock are lifelines, the emergency responses have to be fast and focused.

Within days of the earthquake, teams from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) conducted rapid assessments. Speaking directly with affected communities, water access emerged as the most urgent need.

Irrigation canals were destroyed or blocked by debris, leaving families without safe drinking water, let alone water for crops or animals. FAO began clearing and restoring canals, racing against time to save standing summer crops like maize and beans that require one last irrigation for a good harvest this month.

Beyond the 445 km² of irrigated farmland now at risk, over 500 000 animals face health threats. Stored feed was contaminated by debris, and animal shelters were destroyed. Families who once relied on maize, wheat, beans, rice, milk and meat now struggle to feed their children.

Communities appealed for help to restore veterinary services, rebuild animal shelters and restock feed and livestock.

In response, FAO and its network of private Veterinary Field Units (VFUs) are treating and vaccinating surviving animals, which remain vital sources of food and income. As of 29 September, FAO has treated 1 163 animals to prevent disease outbreaks.  

VFUs have also safely disposed of more than 5 600 animal carcasses in the worst-hit districts of Kunar, preventing zoonotic disease outbreaks and water contamination. FAO teams trekked for hours through mountainous terrain, navigating landslides and debris to reach remote villages.

“It takes about three to three and a half hours on foot to reach the site and bury the animals,” says Shamsher, a livestock keeper in Kunar. “But FAO teams are here, helping us.”

In addition, planned cash-for-work programmes will employ local labourers to rebuild livestock shelters—putting money directly into families’ hands and stimulating the local economy.

Rush for winter harvest

With winter only weeks away, families have a narrow window to prepare their land and protect their animals. Missing this opportunity could mean no harvest next year - and deeper hunger well into 2026.

FAO has appealed for USD 23.4 million to ensure these communities have the lifesaving, emergency agricultural assistance they require to cover their basic needs.

Meanwhile, a Joint United Nations Rapid Needs Assessment is underway to quantify the damage and losses and guide recovery. FAO is leading the agriculture component, drawing on its technical expertise and deep community presence to assess losses in crops, livestock and irrigation systems.

Every day counts to protect food, livelihoods and dignity for farming families who have already endured so much.

The rapid response activities to date have been made possible thanks to the generous support of the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) as well as FAO's Special Fund for Emergency and Resilience Activities (SFERA).