First on the ground: HealthNet TPO reaches isolated Arit valley after the Afghanistan earthquake

On 1 September, we first received the devastating news from our clinic staff in Arit Valley: the security guard and his family had been killed, and the clinic was almost completely destroyed. That same day, we waited for hours to be airlifted to the area, but the helicopter was unable to land. On the second day, we tried again and failed. By the third day, despite the continuing aftershocks of the earthquake, I decided we could no longer wait. I made a personal commitment to reach Arit Valley at any cost.

Reports told us the roads were blocked, and stones were falling from the surrounding mountains. On the morning of the third day, when the helicopter still did not arrive by 11 o’clock, I told my team:

I am going forward by foot.

With a pack of medicine on my back, and my colleagues carrying additional supplies, we also hired local villagers to help transport medicines.

The route from Ghaziabad to Arit Valley was extremely difficult. The paths were damaged, blocked by rocks, and every few minutes we felt new aftershocks. I fell several times, as did my colleagues, but by God’s grace, none of us were seriously injured.

After three to three and a half hours of walking through treacherous mountain terrain, we finally reached the valley.

Several villages had not yet received any help—Ghundai, Loy, Salambat, Danesbat, Kanda, Bara Kanda, and Oshan Kanarak—so we pushed forward despite the risks. Our team included two mobile units, two HealthNet TPO supervisors, and myself. When we finally reached Loy village, we immediately set up our camps and began treating the injured.

The situation was heartbreaking. Many villagers had abandoned their homes and climbed to the mountains for safety, leaving the villages eerily empty.

I placed one team in the Khar area to start treatments, while the other team moved toward the mountains. Each mobile team had a doctor, a nurse, and supplies of medicines, pharmaceuticals, and first aid. The aftershocks continued—at one point, a stone fell directly onto my hand, though I was lucky not to be hurt.

When I reached our Arit clinic, I found it completely destroyed, except for one section of the outpatient ward.

My team and I managed to recover some medicines from inside [the clinic], but as soon as I stepped out, the building collapsed entirely behind me. The scene was terrifying.

Yet when I saw families who had lost 13 members, or others who had lost 22, I realised their pain was far greater than ours. We left all our medicines and food items with the mobile teams so they could continue supporting the communities. Then, at around 2 a.m., exhausted but relieved, we made it back to our regional office in Kunar.

Even now, the aftershocks of the earthquakes continue. In Kunar’s capital, Asadabad, people can still feel them—so you can imagine how much stronger they are in Arit, the hotspot. With our own eyes, we saw how already damaged houses crumbled further.

Many families remain on the mountain tops without shelter, exposed to falling rocks and constant danger.

I advised villagers on safety measures, but I know their lives remain at risk every moment. We are continuing to supply medicine, tents for our clinic staff, and food items to support the people of Arit Valley in these extremely harsh conditions.