About 25,000 children are living in tents in Afghanistan's Kunar province six months after a massive earthquake destroyed lives and livelihoods with homes and schools yet to be rebuilt and no timeline for reconstruction, Save the Children said1.
The earthquake in eastern Afghanistan on 31 August last year was one of the deadliest to ever hit the country, killing more than 2,000 people and destroying or damaging more than 8,000 homes, forcing children and families into tents, some of which were damaged by recent heavy snowfall in the remote region.
Families rely on traditional wood or coal burning heaters for warmth inside the tarpaulin tents, creating a fire risk. Reconstruction of homes in the mountainous region has barely begun, with the level of destruction in some villages so extensive they will never be rebuilt.
The earthquake completely or partially destroyed more than half of nearly 1,300 classrooms assessed2. Before the quake, nearly 50,000 primary school aged children were out of school in Kunar, the province most heavily impacted by the disaster3.
Construction work has not started on the damaged or destroyed classrooms, and about 17,000 children from the affected schools are studying in temporary spaces across the earthquake-devastated areas4.
Maria*, 12, is in the first grade in a Save the Children temporary classroom in a camp in Kunar. Six months ago, Maria and her eight siblings were forced to take a perilous journey in search of safety after their entire village was damaged by the earthquake.
She used to study in the open under trees in her mountain village but she would miss classes if the weather was bad as her school didn't have any buildings.
Maria said:
"We spent two nights on the road without any shelter, and then we came to this camp where we were provided with tents and other essential kits that helped us.
"Before this class [in the temporary learning space], I was in my village without any modern tools for learning, and I could not read or write anything. Now, I see many changes in my life. I can read books, I can write anything, and this school helped me to turn my dreams into reality."
More than 6,000 families living in camps in Kunar continue to rely on aid and assistance after losing their homes and incomes. These families earned US$75-120 a month before the earthquake through agriculture, livestock and other small-scale, home-based work5 but now rely on cash handouts.
Bujar Hoxha, Country Director, Save the Children in Afghanistan said:
"Six months on from the earthquake that destroyed lives and communities, children are still living and learning in tents. It is vital that schools and homes are rebuilt.
"Families in Kunar fear they will be forgotten. They are dependent on aid from Save the Children and other humanitarian organisations, and that situation is unlikely to change in the months to come.
"As needs across Afghanistan continue to rise while funding declines, we cannot allow the communities devastated by the earthquake to be left behind. Families need hope that their shattered lives can be rebuilt, and that requires sustained funding."
The need for funding in eastern Afghanistan continues to be immense at a time when there are so many competing demands for limited aid.
In 2025 alone, more than 2.9 million Afghans returned to the country from Iran and Pakistan6, with some settling in the same region devastated by the earthquake. About 4.2 million people across Afghanistan need shelter support this year, according to the UN7.
Save the Children works in the affected provinces, so it was among the first international organisations to respond to the earthquake in Kunar where most casualties occurred.
Save the Children has so far set up 30 temporary learning spaces for nearly 1,500 children, and is also providing health care, water and sanitation services, shelter, household and hygiene kits, multipurpose cash assistance and psychosocial support for children in childcare centres. We have to date supported nearly 89,000 people in the earthquake affected areas including about 34,000 children.
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.
