On 30 May 1998 a magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck northern Afghanistan’s Takhar Province at 06:22 UTC. The quake caused severe damage to mud-brick villages, destroyed thousands of homes, and left an estimated 4,000-4,500 people dead and tens of thousands homeless. The remote terrain and ongoing civil war hampered immediate rescue and relief operations. The disaster highlighted how vulnerable Afghan rural areas were to natural hazards, especially when conflict prevented infrastructure development and timely response. For months afterward, after-shocks and landslides continued to aggravate the humanitarian needs.
