Türkiye has dispatched humanitarian aid to Afghanistan’s eastern Kunar province, where a devastating earthquake has left over 1,400 people dead, thousands injured, and entire villages reduced to rubble.

The Turkish Defence Ministry confirmed on Wednesday that an A400M military aircraft departed from Kayseri/Erkilet Airport carrying relief supplies prepared by Türkiye’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) and the Turkish Red Crescent. “In response to the earthquake disaster in Afghanistan’s Kunar province, humanitarian aid supplies have been sent to support the Afghan people,” the ministry announced on X.

A Taliban official in Kunar told Anadolu Agency that some aid reached remote villages overnight as authorities initially tried relocating survivors. However, many families refused to leave, choosing to remain near the rubble where their loved ones were buried. Relief teams have since begun distributing tents, food, and other essential supplies.

Kunar, the epicenter of the disaster, remains the most severely affected province, with 1,411 confirmed deaths and 3,124 injured. The Taliban administration said 5,412 houses were destroyed in Kunar alone. The death toll is expected to rise as data arrives from Nangarhar, Laghman, and Panjshir provinces.

Relief operations have been complicated by mountainous terrain, damaged infrastructure, and continuing aftershocks. On Tuesday, a 5.2-magnitude quake struck northeastern Afghanistan, further rattling the region and being felt across the border in Pakistan.

“We are sending relief goods by vehicles where possible, but in isolated areas helicopters are being used to deliver supplies and airlift the injured,” the Taliban official said.

Abdul Wahid, a resident of Kunar, described the atmosphere as fearful: “Aftershocks still continue, and people are terrified to stay indoors.”

Humanitarian agencies warn of a looming crisis unless aid is swiftly scaled up. UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Afghanistan Indrika Ratwatte said the earthquake struck at a time when Afghanistan is already facing multiple humanitarian challenges. “Given the remoteness and difficult terrain, the number of people affected could reach hundreds of thousands,” he cautioned.

Several countries, including Pakistan, Iran, China, India, and Western nations, have pledged assistance. Survivors, meanwhile, continue to bury their loved ones in devastated villages, many left homeless and facing severe shortages of food and shelter.

The US Geological Survey recorded the initial 6.7-magnitude quake late Sunday night, striking when most families were asleep. This marks the third major earthquake to devastate Afghanistan since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021. (ILKHA)