Afghanistan: When the world came crumbling down in Herat

A little girl sits amid debris and rubble with a juice box.

A little girl sits amid the debris of houses destroyed by two back-to-back earthquakes in Herat Province, Afghanistan. OCHA/Sayed Habib Bidell

Between 7 and 15 October, three 6.3 magnitude earthquakes struck Herat Province, western Afghanistan directly affecting more than 66,360 people across multiple districts.

People walk through debris and rubble in an open area.

Earthquake survivors search for their belongings in the rubble of their destroyed homes. Injil district, Chahak village, Herat Province. OCHA/ Abdullah Zahid

Injil district is the worst affected, but with assessments ongoing, numbers are expected to rise.

Bundles of stacked bags marked IOM placed in rows in an open ground.

IOM distributes essential aid including blankets and household items. OCHA

So far, 1,480 people (more than half of whom are women) are estimated to have died and 2,000 people (more than half of whom are women and girls) have been injured in the earthquakes.

Women and children sit on an open ground with sacks of food.

Afghan families with their aid packages await transport in Faizabad village in Zindajan. October 13, 2023. OCHA

Earthquake survivors have lost their homes, belongings and livelihoods. They are being provided with tents and other non-food items including blankets, tarpaulins, and warm clothes to give them some immediate protection as part of the initial humanitarian response.

A boy and a girl stand outside tents on an open ground.

Children outside the tents provided by aid agencies in Herat. OCHA/ Sayed Habib Bidell

But more sustainable and sturdy forms of shelter will be required over winter.

Three women seated a table under a tent.

Humanitarian organizations have deployed teams to provide health and psychosocial services to women in Zindajan, Herat Province. OCHA/Sayed Habib Bidell

Humanitarian organizations are also providing water, sanitation and hygiene supplies, emergency healthcare and protection.

Five men stand amid debris in an open area.

The acting Humanitarian Coordinator for Afghanistan, Daniel Endres (in the formal jacket) visited the earthquake-affected areas to assess the situation. Zandajan district, Herat Province. OCHA/Sayed Habib Bidell

The acting Humanitarian Coordinator for Afghanistan, Daniel Endres, has visited the earthquake-affected areas with members of the aid community several times to support immediate response and initiate early recovery efforts. The Humanitarian Country Team has developed an initial Herat Earthquake Response Plan, seeking US$93.6 million to support 114,000 earthquake-people over the winter.

More details of the response can be found in OCHA Afghanistan’s Flash Updates 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6.