‘We Had Everything, Now It’s Gone’: Afghan Families Reeling After Deadly Kunar Earthquake

Ahmad Khan Safi once lived a peaceful life in the lush Dewagal Valley of Afghanistan’s Kunar Province. The farmer raised livestock, built a modest 10-room home of mud and stone, and welcomed visitors who came from across the country to marvel at the valley’s steep slopes and winding paths.When a powerful earthquake struck on Aug. 31, killing more than 2,000 people, Safi’s home collapsed on top of him. “I was trapped in the mud and couldn’t breathe,” he recalled from a hospital bed in Jalalabad. “I struggled to get out, but rocks hit me, and I fell so hard my leg was injured.”He spent the night under rubble, unsure if his family had survived. By morning, neighbors from nearby districts arrived on foot to pull survivors from the wreckage. Safi was carried out on the shoulders of fellow villagers.The devastation in Dewagal Valley was near total. “There was not a ...

• 06 Sep 2025