Taliban Attribute Deadly Kunar Earthquake to “People’s Sins”

After the 6-magnitude earthquake that left more than 1,450 dead and 3,500 injured, the Taliban’s Taliban’s Ministry of Hajj and Religious Affairs has called on people to “repent and pray” instead of taking relief or scientific measures.

Four days after the powerful earthquake in eastern Afghanistan, particularly in Kunar province, the Taliban’s Ministry of Hajj and Religious Affairs issued a four-page sermon declaring the quake to be the result of “people’s sins and disobedience to divine orders.” This comes while nearly 6,000 houses have been destroyed and many families are still unable to recover the bodies of their loved ones from under the rubble.

The statement makes no mention of the scientific causes of earthquakes, preventive measures, or safety recommendations, and instead only urges people to turn to “repentance, lamentation, prayer, and patience.” The Taliban ministry also asked mosque imams to dedicate the Friday sermon to explaining “divine punishment” and the “oppression of returning migrants.”

Reports from affected areas show that the Taliban’s prohibition on women and girls being treated by male doctors has sharply increased the death toll among women and children. Local residents say that the lack of immediate and scientific relief measures has further worsened the crisis and doubled the psychological and economic pressure on affected families.

The 6-magnitude earthquake has killed more than 1,450 people and injured more than 3,500 others. International experts and aid workers warn that the continuation of this trend and the absence of crisis management could increase the human toll even further.

At a time when every minute of delay in relief efforts can threaten the lives of dozens, religious statements without scientific basis have effectively replaced the response to a humanitarian crisis and intensified criticism of the Taliban’s policies in dealing with natural disasters.