On Thursday, a strong earthquake shook the mountains on the Afghan border, killing at least 1,000 people as desperate rescuers raced against time to rescue survivors of a rainstorm.

The 5.9-magnitude quake hit the Far East the hardest, where the humanitarian crisis has intensified since the Taliban took power in August.

“People are digging graves one by one,” said Mohammad Amin Huzaifa, head of the severely damaged Paktika’s information and culture department, adding that at least 1,000 people had died in the province alone. He said more than 1,500 people had been injured, many in critical condition.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the global agency has fully mobilised to help, deploying medical teams, medicines, food, trauma kits and emergency shelters to the quake zone.

The country’s top leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, warned that the number of casualties could rise further as news came from hard-to-reach areas in the mountains. The quake hit an area already hit by heavy rain, causing rockfall and mudslides, hampering rescue efforts.