May 1998 Afghanistan earthquake facts for kids

On May 30, 1998, a strong earthquake shook northern Afghanistan. It happened at 6:22 AM UTC in Takhar Province. The earthquake had a moment magnitude of 6.5. Its strength was rated as VII (Very strong) on the modified Mercalli intensity scale. At that time, a civil war was happening in Afghanistan. The area hit by the earthquake was controlled by a group called the United Islamic Front for the Salvation of Afghanistan.

The 1998 Afghanistan Earthquake

This earthquake was the second big one to hit the area in 1998. An earlier earthquake had struck on February 4. Between 4,000 and 4,500 people sadly lost their lives. This happened in the Takhar Province and Badakhshan areas.

Nearly 7,000 families were affected by the disaster. It's thought that about 16,000 homes were destroyed or damaged. Around 45,000 people suddenly became homeless. More than 30 villages were completely wiped out. Another 70 villages were badly damaged. Thousands of animals also died. Farms and important buildings were ruined.

Why the Damage Was So Bad

Afghanistan was not ready for a big natural disaster like this. The country did not have strong building rules. Homes were mostly made of mud bricks. They had very shallow foundations. Many villages were built on unstable hillsides. This meant that many villages were buried by landslides.

The ground kept shaking with smaller quakes called aftershocks. These aftershocks continued for a whole month. People felt the main earthquake in many other cities too. These included Mazar-e Sharif, Kabul, Andijan, Samarkand, Islamabad, Peshawar, Rawalpindi, and Dushanbe.

Helping After the Earthquake

Getting help to the affected areas was very difficult. The region was far away and had no modern phones or internet. Also, local traditions made it hard for male doctors to help women. There were no good maps of the affected region. However, this problem was partly solved. Pilots from Tajikistan had flown in the area before. They knew many of the villages from their time with the Soviet Armed Forces.

Relief efforts were also slowed down. Roads were blocked by debris. The weather was bad, making it hard to fly or drive. There was also political unrest in the region.

How Aid Was Organized

Many aid groups in Afghanistan managed their help from neighboring Pakistan. They had learned from past events. It was better not to keep too many supplies in cities like Kabul. A smaller base for help was set up in Rostaq. This town is in Takhar Province, near the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border. Even though it didn't have an airport, it had open spaces for helicopters. It also had a road link to Tajikistan. A call was sent out worldwide for helicopters. They were badly needed to help with the rescue work.

The United Nations (UN) and several non-governmental organizations (NGOs) helped. They worked together to bring aid. This included the UN, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). Many other local and international NGOs also joined in the efforts.

See also

• List of earthquakes in 1998
• List of earthquakes in Afghanistan