Update: 10.12.2023 – Another deadly earthquake in western Afghanistan has increased the death toll to more than 3,000 people, according to officials. The 6.3-magnitude earthquake hit south of Herat’s regional capital and came after another earthquake earlier this month. Nearly 2,000 houses have been destroyed in 20 villages, local authorities say, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis.  More than 90% of the people killed by the earthquake were women and children, reported by U.N. officials reported.  Hospitals treating the injured have reached capacity.  The World Food Program says ‘currently we have 15 million people who do not know where the next meal will come from…’

On October 8, a series of devastating earthquakes struck northwestern Afghanistan, resulting in a tragic loss of over 2,400 lives, as reported by the Taliban administration. These seismic events are among the most lethal to have shaken this mountainous nation in recent years.

The epicenter of these quakes was located 35 kilometers (20 miles) northwest of Herat, with one registering a magnitude of 6.3, according to data from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

The impact was severe, with homes reduced to rubble, and a significant number of individuals urgently seeking medical attention, as depicted in images circulated by Afghan media.