KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that six months after the devastating earthquake in Western Afghanistan, approximately 24,800 affected families in the area still live in tents or damaged shelters.
In a statement on social media on Monday, April 8, OCHA said that earthquakes had destroyed and damaged 40,000 homes, leaving 275,000 people in urgent need of assistance.
“Especially for 24,800 families in Herat Province who still reside in tents or damaged shelters, urgently needing repair & transitional shelter support,” the UN agency said. “Let’s not forget them in their time of need,” it emphasized.
On October 7, a magnitude 6.3 quake—the deadliest in the country in two decades—struck a densely populated and remote area in Afghanistan’s western Herat province. It was followed by several aftershocks and more quakes on October 10 and 15— each measuring around 6.3 magnitude.
The earthquake and its subsequent aftershocks have claimed the lives of over 1,500 people and caused injuries to more than 2,600 others. Additionally, it has impacted 275,000 people, including 40,000 pregnant women and children, as well as over 10,000 elderly, disabled individuals, and those with chronic illnesses.
The earthquakes have hit vulnerable communities, already struggling with decades of conflict and underdevelopment, leaving them with minimal resilience to handle multiple simultaneous shocks. These natural disasters occurred at the onset of Afghanistan’s lean season and just before winter, exacerbating the strain on households with depleted or limited food resources.
According to the UN, the earthquake in Herat has resulted in direct damages amounting to $217 million and an additional $78.9 million in indirect damages.
The Post-Disaster Needs Assessment report, co-authored by the UN Development Program (UNDP), the World Bank, the European Union (EU), and the Islamic Development Bank, indicates that the reconstruction of the affected area requires $402.9 million.
As indicated in the report, the housing sector has incurred the most substantial damage, with almost 50,000 houses destroyed or damaged. The reconstruction of shelters for those in need constitutes 41% of the requested budget, totaling $164.4 million.
These natural disasters and the ongoing suffering of their victims highlight the vulnerability of the population since the Taliban’s takeover in August 2021. The country is struggling with the world’s worst humanitarian crisis amid shrinking international aid commitments.
The UN estimates that in 2024, over half of Afghanistan’s population, about 23.7 million people, will require humanitarian aid. To address this pressing need, the UN has called for $3 billion in funding to deliver life-saving assistance to these vulnerable populations. However, according to the UN, only 6% of the requested funds have been received thus far.
