Toronto, October 6, 2025 – Children whose parents were killed in Afghanistan’s devastating earthquakes a month ago are being cared for by their extended families who are reliant on aid with needs set to rise in coming months as winter sets in, Save the Children said.
The earthquakes – the largest and most deadly on 31 August – killed about 2,000 people and destroyed more than 8,000 homes in Eastern Afghanistan, forcing children and families into tents, either in camps or in ruined villages.
The earthquakes also decimated livelihoods, with most people in these remote, rural villages dependent on livestock and agriculture for income. Nearly 400,000 people – including more than 250,000 children – need support with food and agriculture, with livestock killed and farming land damaged [1].
According to UNICEF, 271 children have been orphaned [2]. Thousands more had relatives killed in the earthquake, and Save the Children is supporting 30 children who lost primary caregivers because of the 6.0 magnitude earthquake through its childcare centres.
Aysha*, 56, is the grandmother of three girls aged under five. She said she is now their primary caregiver because the girls’ parents died in the earthquake. The youngest girl is 15 months old and is cradled on her lap, bare feet twitching as she sleeps.
Aysha had to flee when her home at the peak of a mountain collapsed when the earthquake struck and is now living in a tent about 2.5 hours away on foot with the road still blocked. Her tent is almost empty as she escaped with just the clothes she was wearing.
Aysha’s husband was injured in the disaster, with his head and arm still wrapped in white bandages as he sits on the ground next to her. The sparse possessions that sit in a corner of their tent have all been provided by aid organisations.
Aysha* said:
“Before this heartbreaking incident [the earthquake], these three children used to eat good food. They used to collect walnuts to eat and enjoyed playing with each other.
“They had a home to live in, and their parents were alive. Now, they have no home, their mother and father are gone, and they are very sad.”
The two older girls attend a Save the Children childcare centre for children who have been forced from the ruins of their homes. The centres are full and operating in shifts due to the high numbers of children, providing a safe, and age and gender appropriate place, to play, learn, and access support.
About 200 children come every day. The childcare centres – part of the emergency response – provide services including psychosocial support, hygiene promotion, and guidance, such as how to avoid separation from caregivers with so many people living in camps. The children also receive refreshments in the safe space, and referrals to nutrition services and healthcare at Save the Children’s neighboring clinic.
Aysha* said:
“Our entire lives currently depend on aid from the authorities and organisations. No one is working at the moment. My eldest son was injured, my other son suffers from low blood pressure, how can they work?” Before the earthquake, my sons were laborer’s. My late son, who lost his life in the earthquake, was the breadwinner. He worked as a daily labourer in construction and was also an architect. I hope to have enough money to raise these children properly.”
Families have lost their main breadwinners across Kunar and Nangarhar provinces, the areas most impacted by the earthquakes. More than nine out of 10 families said they lost their food when homes collapsed, and more than 7,000 livestock were killed [3].
Save the Children works in the affected provinces, so was among the first international organisations on the ground in Kunar where most of the nearly 2,000 confirmed deaths occurred. The humanitarian and child rights organisation is providing health care, water and sanitation services, household, baby and hygiene kits, multipurpose cash assistance and support to children through childcare centres in the earthquake-affected areas.
Samira Sayed Rahman, Programme Development and Advocacy Director, Save the Children in Afghanistan, said:
“One month on from the earthquakes, the scale of the devastation in Eastern Afghanistan is becoming ever starker.
“Many children have lost a parent, some are now orphaned, and countless households have lost their source of income. For children, the loss is immeasurable, and for many families it also means the loss of breadwinners.
“Our childcare centres are providing vital support in this emergency phase, but families need longer-term help. With winter fast approaching, already dire needs will only deepen.
“Donors must urgently mobilise additional resources to help children and their caregivers survive the months ahead and lay the foundations for recovery.”
Save the Children has been working in Afghanistan since 1976, including during periods of conflict and natural disasters. We have programmes in 9 provinces and work with partners in an additional 11 provinces. We deliver services spanning health, nutrition, education, child protection, shelter, water, sanitation, hygiene and livelihoods.
References:
*Denotes name changed to protect identity
Contacat jmarshall@savethechildren.ca for interviews with Samira Sayed Rahman, Programme Development and Advocacy Director, Save the Children in Afghanistan. Samira is a Canadian national.
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