Powerful Quake Strikes Northern Afghanistan, Killing At Least 20; Christian Groups Mobilize Aid

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent

KABUL (Worthy News) – Afghanistan struggled on Tuesday with the aftermath of a powerful 6.3-magnitude earthquake that officials said shook the north of the troubled country, killing at least 20 people and injuring more than 640 others, while also damaging the historic Blue Mosque in Mazar-e-Sharif.

Authorities warned that the death toll was expected to rise.

In the town of Khulm, near the epicenter in Balkh Province, residents dug through the rubble of collapsed mud-brick homes with shovels and bare hands, searching for survivors and salvaging what belongings they could, witnesses said.

Monday’s tremor struck after a magnitude 6.2 quake hit southeastern Afghanistan just before midnight on August 31, followed by a series of strong aftershocks over the next week that killed more than 2,200 people and injured thousands.

Those earlier quakes — each registering around magnitude 6.3 — left tens of thousands homeless as winter approached.

Aid agencies say the back-to-back disasters have overwhelmed local resources in a country already crippled by conflict, poverty, and international isolation

HISTORIC MOSQUE DAMAGED

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) located the epicenter about 22 kilometers (14 miles) west-southwest of Khulm, at a depth of 28 kilometers (17 miles).

Officials said the latest quake also caused visible cracks and falling tiles at the Blue Mosque, one of Afghanistan’s most treasured religious and cultural landmarks, dating back to the 15th century.

The main structure remained standing but sustained moderate damage.

Christian Aid, a British-based relief organization that helped respond to previous earthquakes in Afghanistan, was expected to be among those assessing needs in the north.

The group earlier stated, “When the earth trembles, we hold our Afghan brothers and sisters in prayer and act to help however we can,” underscoring its long-term commitment to recovery efforts across the country.

Christian aid workers are involved in relief efforts, although Christians reportedly continue to face persecution in Afghanistan, which is ruled by the strict Islamist Taliban group that seized control in 2021.

WORLD WATCH LIST

According to the latest Open Doors 2025 World Watch List, Afghanistan ranks number 2 globally — behind only North Korea — as one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a Christian.

Converts from Islam face the threat of death if their faith is discovered, forcing most believers to practice in secrecy, according to advocacy group Open Doors investigators.

Faith-based organizations have often operated quietly in Afghanistan due to severe restrictions on non-Islamic religious activity, yet they remain among the few providing humanitarian aid in remote communities, Worthy News learned.

Afghanistan lies on multiple seismic fault lines and suffers from poor infrastructure and widespread poverty. Most rural homes are built of mud bricks and collapse easily during tremors.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said rescue operations were continuing and appealed for urgent funding to assist quake-affected families before winter sets in.

Regional Christian leaders have urged prayers for Afghanistan’s recovery and for the safety of humanitarian workers.

REPEATED DISASTERS

Local and international relief agencies warn that repeated disasters threaten to worsen the already dire humanitarian situation, leaving millions dependent on food aid and emergency shelter.

The United Nations and aid agencies have warned that hunger is rising.

According to the World Bank, the August earthquake caused an estimated $183 million in damage to buildings and infrastructure, leading to social upheaval. The UN’s humanitarian agency, OCHA, estimates 221,000 people are still in “acute need” of assistance in the east.

Charity Save the Children, which is dispatching a team to Samangan, warned that “thousands of children in the earthquake-devastated east of the country are facing the winter with only tents for protection.”

“Now, families in the north are also experiencing fear and uncertainty,” said Samira Sayed Rahman, the charity’s program development and advocacy director for Afghanistan.

Earthquakes are common in Afghanistan, particularly along the Hindu Kush mountain range, near where the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates meet. Significant tremors in western Herat, near the Iranian border, in 2023, and in eastern Nangarhar province in 2022 killed hundreds and destroyed thousands of homes.

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