On November 3, a 6.3-magnitude earthquake hit northern Afghanistan. Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) teams responded quickly to the epicenter near Khulm—finding patients in need of immediate trauma care, including urgent surgical treatment for spinal injury. This disaster followed on the heels of another magnitude-6 earthquake that hit nearby Nangarhar province mere months before—dealing another significant blow to an already strained health system.
Multiple disasters have created difficult conditions for patients in need of critical care. Families like Saira’s, unable to reach hospitals in the city of Mazar-i-Sharif due to blocked roads, relied on MSF’s Kunduz Trauma Center for emergency assessment and surgery. “My mother was sleeping when the earthquake happened,” says Saira’s son. “My brother called her to wake up. She tried to get up but suddenly fell to the floor and broke her leg.” | 
