ISTANBUL 

Some 12,000 people have been directly affected by the deadly earthquake in Afghanistan, the UN humanitarian office OCHA said Monday.

In a statement, OCHA said that initial figures showed that up to 12,000 people are directly affected by the earthquake, with the Chawkay and Nurgal districts in Kunar Province and Dara-e-Nur district in Nangarhar Province the most impacted.

The quake’s hypocenter, the point of origin, was estimated at only 8-10 kilometers (5-6 miles) beneath the surface, which exacerbated the quake’s impact, it noted.

The UN office also warned that casualties are expected to rise as search and rescue teams reach affected areas.

Earlier, the UN refugee chief said the recent earthquake in Afghanistan has added fatalities and destruction to other challenges in the country.

"A major earthquake has caused many casualties in Afghanistan. This adds death and destruction to other challenges including drought and the forced return of millions of Afghans from neighboring countries," UN refugee agency chief Filippo Grandi said through the US social media company X.

He expressed hope that the donor community would support relief efforts.

The earthquake hit central Afghanistan on Sunday, killing at least 800 people and injuring 2,500 others, causing much devastation in the eastern province of Kunar.

The death toll is likely to rise as many people are feared trapped under the rubble, according to officials.