Rescue teams are facing challenges in reaching survivors following a powerful earthquake in eastern Afghanistan that left over 1,400 people dead.

The magnitude 6.0 quake struck the mountainous region near the Pakistan border late Sunday, collapsing mud-brick homes as families slept.

With the death toll now at least 1,469 and more than 3,700 injured the earthquake ranks among the deadliest in decades for the impoverished nation. UN refugee chief Filippo Grandi reported that the quake has affected more than 500,000 people.

Most casualties occurred in Kunar province while neighboring Nangarhar and Laghman provinces also reported deaths and injuries.

Access to remote areas remains difficult due to aftershocks causing rockfalls, leaving families exposed outdoors for fear of further collapses.

“Everyone is afraid; there are many aftershocks”, said a resident of Dara-i-Nur Awrangzeeb Noori in Nangarhar province.

Many aid organisations including Save the Children, are struggling to deliver assistance, with reports of teams walking over 20km to reach isolated villages.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) is ramping up its emergency response and has appealed for $4 million to provide lifesaving health interventions. WHO’s emergency team lead in Afghanistan, Jamshed Tanoli emphasised the urgency of the situation stating, “Every hour counts”.

The Taliban government has begun organising helicopter evacuations for the injured with 155 flights conducted to transport around 2,000 people to regional hospitals. Additionally emergency aid camps have been established in affected districts.

Afghanistan already grappling with endemic poverty and severe drought faces a deepening crisis as the population struggles to survive on less than a dollar a day.

The Norwegian Refugee Council warns that forcing Afghans to return will exacerbate the situation.

This earthquake marks the third major seismic event since the Taliban took power in 2021, with the country still recovering from previous disasters including a 6.3 magnitude quake in Herat province last October that killed over 1,500 people.