Chinese aid supplies for earthquake survivors arrives at a camp in the Khas Kunar district of Kunar province, Afghanistan, Sept. 22, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Ang)
KABUL, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- Standing in front of his tent in a camp in the Khas Kunar district of the badly quake-hit Kunar province in the eastern region of Afghanistan, a saddened man said that the camp has been made of the tents provided by China.
Bearing the brunt of the devastating quake in his upset face, the dejected man, who lost five members of his family in the recent earthquake and could not speak due to a lump in his throat, just murmured, "Many were killed and injured," and pointed a finger out to a villager, Shir Ali, to tell about the natural disaster.
"It was 10 minutes to 12 at night when the ground shook violently and the lights went out," Shir Ali told Xinhua, his voice heavy with sorrow. "At first, some thought it was an explosion, others something else. Only later did we realize it was an earthquake. By dawn -- around 5:30 or 6:00 a.m. -- we learned that some 200 villagers in Loykali had been killed and countless others injured."
The 6.0-magnitude quake struck eastern Afghanistan in late August, devastating Kunar Province. According to provincial officials, more than 2,200 people lost their lives and over 3,600 were injured. Nearly 7,000 houses were destroyed, reducing scores of villages to rubble and leaving more than 80,000 residents affected. Survivors like Shir Ali now struggle to rebuild their lives amid the wreckage.
Despite the devastation, gratitude runs deep. "We are thankful to all nations, including China, for helping us in our hour of need," Shir Ali said, standing beside a stack of donated supplies. "They have sent everything -- flour, shoes, clothes. We are grateful to every country and aid agency, and also to the officials of the Afghan government who helped distribute the aid."
Kunar's Provincial Governor, Mawlawi Qudratullah Abo Hamza, thanked China for sending assistance to the quake-affected area. "The relief includes food, clothing and other essentials, and we are truly grateful," he told Xinhua.
China, which had supplied humanitarian aid to the quake-hit people in the eastern Paktika in June 2022 and to the western Herat in October 2023, respectively, has provided assistance worth 50 million yuan (about 7 million U.S. dollars) to the quake-affected families in Kunar province.
The camp where Shir Ali now lives accommodates an estimated 4,000 families. Rows of white tents stretch across the dusty plain, and volunteer medical teams provide treatment for the injured. Yet the looming winter poses a serious threat. In this mountainous region, temperatures plunge below freezing by December, long before many families can rebuild permanent homes.
"For the construction of one room, we need 400,000 to 500,000 afghani (about 6,000 to 7,500 U.S. dollars)," explained Najmudin, another quake survivor. "But nothing is left for us. Aside from the aid materials, we have no money. In my village of Mazar Dara, each family lost five, six, or even 10 loved ones. We can't rebuild without outside help."
Mawlawi Qudratullah Abo Hamza said that the shortage of shelters remains the greatest challenge. "We call upon donor nations, aid agencies and Afghan business leaders to help rebuild homes before winter arrives."
As dusk settles over the camp, children play among stacked boxes of flour and clothing, a fleeting reminder of normal life. For now, the Chinese-donated tents offer vital shelter and hope. But for thousands who lost homes and loved ones, the road to recovery will be long, and the coming winter underscores the urgency of rebuilding.
Earthquake survivors receive Chinese aid supplies in the Khas Kunar district of Kunar province, Afghanistan, Sept. 22, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Ang)
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