From Devastation to Hope: One Year After the Herat Earthquakes
By Abdullah Zahid
It’s just over a year since three 6.3-magnitude earthquakes devastated Herat Province in western Afghanistan. The earthquakes struck on 7, 11 and 15 October, killing 1,480 people and injuring 1,950 others across 382 villages, and causing widespread destruction.
The devastation extended to critical infrastructure, including homes, health facilities, schools and water networks, leaving thousands of already vulnerable families in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. More than 275,000 people were affected, and more than 10,000 homes were destroyed and countless others damaged.
The earthquakes struck communities already grappling with the aftermath of four decades of conflict and underdevelopment, leaving them with little means to cope and recover on their own.
#Humanitarian Response
In response, the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund (AHF) and the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) allocated US$9.7 million and $5 million, respectively. This ensured that thousands of affected families immediately received emergency shelter, trauma care, food assistance, and water, sanitation and hygiene support.
A year on, OCHA returned to some of the province’s hardest-hit communities. People shared their terrifying experiences and details of the support they received and what they still need to rebuild and recover. Each family’s story is testament to the enduring strength and resilience of people in Afghanistan, but also an urgent reminder of the long-term support they still desperately need.
The AHF and CERF have reached approximately 470,000 people, including 189,000 children, 180,000 women, and more than 100,000 men. The support spans various sectors, including emergency shelter and non-food items, food security, health, protection, and water and sanitation. The AHF and its partners have been instrumental in delivering immediate relief and laying the groundwork for recovery in affected communities.
#First Earthquake: Saturday 7 October, 11:10 a.m. local time
Khaliqdad
Khaliqdad, 72, from Sanjab village, Zindajan district, recalls the harrowing experience of the first earthquake:
“It felt as if we were on the ground or under it because the shaking was so bad. We were terrified, we lost everything, nothing was left for us. We were all sitting out in the open fields.”
Humanitarian organizations quickly provided tents after the earthquake, but the conditions were dire. Khaliqdad explains:
"The strong winds made it unbearable; we couldn’t stay warm, even for an hour. Over the next few days, humanitarian organizations gave us healthcare services and cash assistance for winter preparedness – some even had temporary shelters built. Despite all the support we've received, we still lack some basic necessities. We don’t have water because our community wells were damaged during the earthquake and no one has been able to rebuild them. We have no clinic or a proper school; currently we are using one of our tents as a classroom for children. We also don’t have proper bathrooms; we built temporary ones."
Khaliqdad is the household's breadwinner, but he has struggled to find work since the earthquake. When he asks about jobs he is often told, “You are old and you can’t do it.” He has agricultural land, but the family lacks wheat seeds to plant.
“If humanitarian organizations do not assist us this year, we will face even worse conditions this winter,” he says.
Nasrin
Nasrin*, 46, a mother of three, is also from Sanjab village. Humanitarian partners rebuilt her small house, but she is still in fear and cannot bring herself to live in it. Instead, she dug a small hole in the ground where she and her children sleep at night.
“The earthquake instilled such fear in us that many people, like me, prefer to stay in these small dugouts with their families,” she says, her voice heavy with emotion.
Her husband works as a daily-wage labourer, but available jobs are few and far between. Some days he manages to find work; other days he comes home empty-handed.
“It’s challenging to put food on the table for our young family,” Nasrin says.
The earthquakes also devastated local agriculture, leading to a severe lack of food and resources. The family lost their livestock and crops, making it even more difficult to provide for their children.
With a trembling voice, Nasrin adds: “We still have trouble getting water. The earthquakes destroyed many nearby water sources and now clean water is scarce. Every day I have to walk long distances just to find drinking water for us.”
As winter approaches, the family’s fears increase. Without ongoing humanitarian assistance, they know survival will be difficult.
Nasrin pleads: “We are thankful for last year’s support, but we urgently need help to face another harsh winter.”
#Second Earthquake: Wednesday 11 October, 5:10 a.m. local time
Tahmina
Tahmina*, a 25-year-old mother of five, lost 14 family members in the second earthquake in Chahak village, Injil district, one of the hardest-hit areas of Herat Province.
She recalls: “We were sitting at home when the door opened and closed once. We thought the children were playing, but when we realized that all the walls were shaking we quickly gathered our things and left the house.
“When I tried to call my brother, his phone was off. We rushed to where he lives, only to find all the houses destroyed and everyone trapped beneath them. Fourteen members of my family were killed, including my mother, father, brother, sister-in-law and their children.”
One of Tahmina’s children is completely traumatized. “He doesn’t walk or laugh anymore,” she says, her voice filled with despair. “After the earthquake I was not in good health myself, which worsened my child's condition. The temporary shelter we received had only one room for seven of us, with no kitchen or washroom. Although we are grateful, we urgently need a permanent home and longer-term support, like income-generation opportunities and vocational training, to help us stand on our feet.”
Before the earthquake, Tahmina's husband worked in Iran, providing for the family, while she earned income from tailoring. “But when the earthquake occurred, I lost my sewing machine and couldn’t afford to buy a new one,” she says. “My husband has returned from Iran and now he also has no job. We have used all the assistance we received and do not have a home suitable for winter.”
#Third Earthquake: Sunday 15 October, 8 a.m. local time
Sadaf
Sadaf*, 25, a mother of two from Khaja Qasim village, in Kushk district, shares her story:
“It was morning when I heard a sound like thunder. We didn’t realize it was an earthquake until I saw dirt falling in the house. My father was outside and called out that there was an earthquake. When we ran outside I cried ‘Where is my child?’ One of my sons was with me and the other was outside.
Before the earthquake, Sadaf's husband became addicted to drugs and left her and their two children. Sadaf had no choice but to live with her father and three brothers, meaning 11 family members shared one household. They gave her a small room to live in.
She recalls the terrifying moments of the earthquake: “It was extremely scary. I hit my eye on the door while escaping. My vision was already poor, but now I can hardly see a thing. Our house was severely damaged and the room where I live with my two children leaks. Everyone warns me not to sleep there with my children because it’s dangerous, but I have no place else to go. Dust is falling from the ceiling and the house is falling apart, but we have no means to leave.”
Sadaf, a tailor and her family’s only breadwinner, adds:
“My husband sold everything due to his drug addiction before leaving me with my two children. Now, we don’t know where he is. We thank the humanitarian organizations for their cash assistance and counselling to help with the stress and trauma of the earthquake. However, we need much, much more; this help is not enough.”
Sayed Mohammad
Sayed Mohammad, a 62-year-old father of five, also lives in Khaja Qasim village. The third earthquake changed his life forever.
He explains: "We lost everything; our house and our neighbours' houses were destroyed. You can see that everyone is in very bad condition."
They received immediate relief, including flour, oil and cash assistance, but Sayed emphasizes that the support they truly need to rebuild their lives has yet to arrive.
"We have not received any assistance that will enable us to be self-reliant and independent. We haven’t received shelter support – not even a tent."
Sayed and his five children are living in a single room provided by relatives.
"We have no place to live," he explains, his worry palpable. "Winter is coming and we are afraid because we have nothing."
#Ongoing Need for Support
2024 has been challenging for earthquake-affected people who have not received the long-term support they need to recover. With La Niña forecast for 2024/2025 and winter approaching, the future looks bleak for the 25,000 families in Herat Province who are desperate for adequate shelter.
Decimated basic infrastructure, including water sources and community wells, are either unrepaired or unbuilt, service delivery is inconsistent and poverty afflicts almost half the population. Across the country, 23.7 million people still need humanitarian assistance. However, funding for the humanitarian response has dwindled significantly – this year’s Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan for Afghanistan is currently only 40 per cent funded.
*Name changed to protect privacy.