Healing the physical and emotional wounds left by the earthquake in Afghanistan

The province of Kunar, in eastern Afghanistan, was directly hit by the 6.0 magnitude earthquake on August 31, 2025. Many people living in remote mountain villages lost loved ones and suffered intense stress caused by the disaster and its aftermath. To help them recover, HI sent two physical therapists and two mental health specialists, both men and women, to provide relief and necessary care.

A heartbreaking sight

Abd Hanan Safi, a farmer from the village of Patan, experienced the full force of the disaster: "When the earthquake struck, I was at home. I was sleeping outside while the rest of my family was inside the house. As soon as the tremors began, I jumped up and ran to evacuate my children. Three of them managed to get out, but two remained inside. Suddenly, their room collapsed and they were trapped under the rubble. It was terrible, I thought they had been killed!"

"As soon as the earth stopped shaking, my wife and I rushed to get them out. They were alive – what a relief! But they were seriously injured, so we took them to the nearest clinic. When we arrived, we were met with a heartbreaking sight: many people had been killed or injured."

"The doctors immediately began tending to my children. We stayed there until the following afternoon to watch over them."

Treating injuries and trauma

"The earthquake left us completely destitute," Abd Hanan Safi adds. "We spent all our savings on medical care for the children and our house collapsed. We have nowhere to live, no shelter, no food, and winter is fast approaching. My wife has been deeply affected: even today, she is not well and showing signs of profound emotional distress."

"Since the earthquake, she has been very anxious about the future. The trauma makes it difficult for her to perform certain daily tasks such as cooking. I myself was injured during the evacuation. While rescuing my children, I bumped into a wall which caused intense pain in my back and hand. In the following days, I could barely walk."

A team of HI physical therapists and mental health specialists arrived in the village in the days following the earthquake.

"Most of the survivors had multiple injuries to their heads, chests and legs," explains Abdul Wasi, an HI physical therapist who was sent to Patan after the earthquake. "As most of the houses in the area are made of mud and wood, many collapsed completely, causing serious injuries or killing those who were inside. In addition, many survivors suffered psychological trauma caused by the loss of loved ones. We observed cases of sleeping disorders and anxiety attacks, with some people suddenly bursting into tears or remaining prostrate, sad and stressed."

"When I told them about my pain," continues Abd Hanan Safi, "they taught me some exercises and gave me a walking aid to help me walk. The very next morning, I felt much better. Thanks to their regular visits and unfailing support, my pain has decreased considerably and today I feel healthy again."

Looking to the future

"The support provided by the HI team was like a breath of fresh air for us: it gave us back our life and hope. They treated us with great care and empathy, providing psychological support, valuable advice and encouragement that helped us stay strong. Their help eased our physical pain and comforted our minds and hearts," Abd Hanan Safi says.

"Now we have to look to the future," he continues. "I plan to work hard, save money and rebuild our home. I also want to make sure my children can go back to school and be there every day for my wife, to help her recover."

HI deployed two physical therapists and two mental health specialists (one man and one woman each to ensure care for all genders) from its Afghan team to provide rehabilitation support and psychological first aid to survivors living in remote areas in Kunar province. As of October 31, these activities had already helped more than 650 people with rehabilitation, mental health and psychosocial support. HI also donated 2,500 tarps to the Norwegian Afghanistan Committee for distribution to earthquake survivors, as well as nearly 200 tents and 500 cold winterization kits to the Norwegian Refugee Council.