Damage from Earthquake in Afghanistan Estimated at $183 million

KABUL, October 23, 2025 - The 6.0 magnitude earthquake that struck eastern Afghanistan on August 31 caused an estimated US$183 million in direct physical damages to buildings and infrastructure, according to a World Bank Group report released today. The earthquake, the deadliest in Afghanistan since 1998, claimed around 2,000 lives and severely affected an estimated 500,000 to 1.3 million people.

The Afghanistan Global Rapid Post-Disaster Damage Estimate Report provides critical insights to support emergency response, recovery planning, and strategic risk reduction efforts. The report was conducted using a well-established rapid, remote, model-based estimation methodology that focuses on direct economic damage to physical assets. The report does not account for losses in production or income, nor reconstruction and recovery needs.

The estimated total direct economic damage of US$183 million is equivalent to just over 1% of Afghanistan's GDP for FY 2023. The most impacted provinces are Kunarha and Nangarhar, accounting for 97% of the total damage with estimated costs reaching US$134.7 million and US$42.6 million, respectively.

Residential buildings experienced the greatest share of the damage - about 35% of the total-followed by non-residential buildings and agriculture. Many of the houses exposed to the earthquake were highly vulnerable to collapse with earthen and stone masonry structures, heavy roofs, and weak mortar. Given the rural setting, agricultural losses - notably grain storage facilities and livestock shelters - were especially significant. The health and education sectors were also impacted, disrupting essential services.

A Socio-economic Vulnerability Index was developed under the GRADE assessment to provide a preliminary understanding of social vulnerability. Pre-existing fragilities such as limited healthcare, poor market access, gender inequalities, conflict, and weak water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) systems are likley to exacerbate the earthquakes's physical impacts and slow recovery. This convergence highlights how existing vulnerabilities amplify disaster impacts and underscores the need for targeted efforts in the most at-risk districts.

"The World Bank stands in solidarity with the people of Afghanistan following the devastating earthquake in the eastern provinces, "said Faris Hadad-Zervos, World Bank Country Director for Afghanistan. "Our priority is to work closely with our partners to support emergency response, recovery, and long-term resilience-ensuring that critical services reach the most vulnerable, especially women and children. We remain committed to helping Afghan communities rebuild stronger and safer, and to supporting their path toward a more resilient future."

Within days of the earthquake, the World Bank identified up to US$15 million from existing projects to deliver emergency support to the affected areas. For instance, the Bank's Community Resilience and Livelihoods Project is providing cash-for-work activities to restore basic services, including village roads, irrigation canals and reservoirs, retaining walls, and drinking water supply. Social grants are further supporting poor and vulnerable households. And the Afghanistan Health Emergency Response Project is providing medical supplies and lifesaving care in 24 project-financed health facilities.

Recovery and reconstruction costs are projected to significantly exceed the direct damage estimates. The GRADE report stresses the importance of targeted recovery strategies that address additional humanitarian needs, consider gender and conflict dynamics, and respond to broader socioeconomic disruptions.

The World Bank and Disaster Risk Management

Disasters hurt the poor and vulnerable the most. Over the past decade, the World Bank has supported client countries to assess exposure to hazards, address disaster risks, and enhance resilience to natural hazards. The Global Rapid Post-Disaster Damage Estimation (GRADE) approach provides an initial rapid estimation of the physical post-disaster damage incurred by key sectors within two weeks of the disaster. The GRADE report for Afghanistan was conducted and financially supported by the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR) and the Ministry of Finance of Japan, through the World-Bank program for Mainstreaming Disaster Risk Management in Developing Countries in collaboration with the World Bank.

Contacts:

In Kabul: Payamulhaq Barrai, [email protected]

In Washington: Serene Jweied, [email protected]

For more information, please visit: https://www.worldbank.org/en/region/mena

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