Six Months After Earthquake, Thousands of Children in Kunar Still Living in Tents

Six months after a deadly earthquake in Kunar, 25,000 children continue to live in tents, facing disrupted education and dire humanitarian conditions.

The Save the Children has reported that six months after the devastating earthquake in Kunar, around 25,000 children remain in temporary shelters, with many tents damaged by recent heavy snowfall.

Homes and schools across the affected areas have yet to be rebuilt, and no clear timeline exists for reconstruction, leaving families dependent on humanitarian aid. Children are attending classes in makeshift learning spaces, with over 17,000 enrolled in temporary facilities.

Families are using traditional wood or coal stoves to heat tents, increasing the risk of fire, while mountainous terrain and extensive damage make rebuilding some villages nearly impossible.

Over 1,300 classrooms were partially or completely destroyed, compounding pre-existing educational gaps, as approximately 50,000 children in Kunar were already out of school before the earthquake.

The earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan on August 31, killing over 2,000 people and destroying more than 8,000 homes. Camps hosting displaced families now house over 6,000 households reliant on ongoing aid.

The humanitarian crisis is further exacerbated by the forced return of more than 2.9 million Afghan refugees from Iran and Pakistan in 2025, some of whom have settled in earthquake-affected regions, straining local resources.

Funding cuts have severely limited reconstruction efforts, while Save the Children stresses the urgent need for sustainable financial support to rebuild homes and schools and restore basic services.

Bujar Hoxha, head of Save the Children in Afghanistan, warned, “Families in Kunar fear being forgotten. Children need safe homes and schools, and long-term financing is essential to rebuild their lives.”

The report highlights that over 4.2 million people across Afghanistan currently require shelter assistance, illustrating the widespread humanitarian challenges beyond the earthquake zone.

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