Overview
- The twin magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes on June 24 flattened high‑rise blocks along the northern coast and prompted a rapid international and volunteer rescue response that saved thousands.
- Authorities report more than 5,300 confirmed deaths and over 16,500 injured while UN and independent estimates place tens of thousands of people unaccounted for or missing.
- Satellite and agency assessments show massive destruction with more than 58,000 buildings damaged or destroyed and the World Bank estimating roughly $19.6 billion in physical damage and up to $50 billion to 'build back better'.
- Search‑and‑rescue operations have largely shifted to body recovery, shelter provision and rubble clearance, but the UN’s $931 million 2026 humanitarian plan is only about 39 percent funded.
- Logistical and political barriers — damaged airports and ports, scarce heavy equipment, fuel shortages, aftershocks and frozen assets — raise the risk of a drawn‑out, underfunded reconstruction that will deepen economic and social strain for survivors.