Hopes faded on Wednesday to find survivors on the third day of rescue operations following the earthquake that struck Afghanistan, killing more than 1,400 people. Survivors live in harsh conditions, sleeping outdoors while awaiting aid days after the disaster. Meanwhile, the United Nations and relief organizations struggle to assist those affected.

A 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck at midnight Sunday in the eastern provinces of Kunar, Laghman, and Nangarhar near the Pakistan border, killing 1,469 people, injuring more than 3,500, and completely destroying around 7,000 homes, according to an updated toll released by Kabul.

Survivors find themselves homeless or sleeping outdoors, avoiding buildings for fear of aftershocks. In other areas, houses were partially damaged, but residents preferred to stay outside day and night.

In the Nurgal area of Kunar, some residents remain trapped under rubble and are difficult to reach for rescue, according to local official Ijaz-ul-Haq Yad. Landslides hinder access to some villages and towns.

Save the Children reported its teams walked 20 kilometers carrying medical supplies on their backs to reach a village isolated by landslides.

Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defense organized 155 helicopter flights over two days to evacuate about 2,000 injured people and their relatives to hospitals, while a small clinic was set up to provide emergency care in the village of Mazar Dara, but no tents have been erected to shelter survivors.

Ijaz-ul-Haq Yad warned that survivors leaving their homes in highlands to seek refuge in low-lying areas such as fields or near riverbeds expose themselves to landslide risks if aftershocks occur, stressing that “the area is extremely dangerous, and it is not safe to stay there long or to walk there.”

Afghan authorities confirmed the earthquake and aftershocks destroyed about 7,000 homes, displacing thousands of families. The United Nations said it has 14,000 tents ready for distribution, while the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has at least 700 tents but cannot distribute them due to difficulty accessing remote villages.

The World Food Programme noted that the earthquake, one of the strongest in Afghanistan’s history, worsened the difficult situation of families with young children in a country where many suffer from food shortages and malnutrition.

UN agencies launched fundraising campaigns, allocating an initial five million dollars from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund to aid the affected areas. However, NGOs say their operations suffer from cuts in international aid budgets.

The World Health Organization said it needs three million dollars to respond to the emergency, warning of the risk of epidemics among displaced people who are already vulnerable groups.

Meanwhile, the NGO ActionAid said its team is in a “race against time” to reach those affected. (Agencies)