HERAT CITY (SW) – The Islamic Emirate authorities have announced the start of the construction of a settlement for the victims of the deadly earthquake in Herat.
Authorities says that in the next two months, 2,146 residential houses will be built for the earthquake victims in Herat at a cost of one billion and 73 million afghanis.
Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesman of the Islamic Emirate, told Salam Watandar: “The construction of houses will be completed before winter arrives. Each house is considered as necessary for a family. This is generally a town that will have a mosque, a clinic, a school and a market.”
Several days have passed since the first deadly earthquake in Herat and its aftershocks. According to the United Nations, the earthquake directly affected 43,000 people, destroyed more than 33,000 houses and damaged 289 villages.
However, a number of victims of the Herat earthquake who spend their days and nights in the open air, say that the lack of shelter on the one hand and the increasing coldness of the air on the other hand, have made life unbearable for them.
Abdul Razzaq, a resident of Zindajan district and one of the victims of the earthquake in Herat, says that due to the lack of a tent, he had to live together with several other families.
He adds: “We are seven families living in one tent. They say there is no tent, you tell me how seven families can live in one tent. We need tents and shelters to get out of this situation.”
Golmaki, a resident of Herat’s Rabatsangi district, also says with concern: “We don’t have a tent, we are homeless and wandering. We have four martyrs, look at the situation we are living in, how can we spend our days and nights in this cold weather?”
Even though the senior officials of the caretaker government have repeatedly emphasized since the beginning of the deadly earthquake in Herat that they will build permanent shelters for the victims of this earthquake until winter, however, the victims of the earthquake in Herat want the caretaker government and relief organizations to deal with this problem as soon as possible.
Noor Ahmad, a resident of Zindajan district, says: “40 to 50 people live in each tent. what can we do. We sleep with our children in cold weather, this problem must be solved.”
Based on United Nations statistics, following the earthquakes of the past few days in Herat, several villages have been seriously damaged, and Zindajan and Anjil districts of Herat have suffered more than any other village. More than 3,330 houses have been destroyed in Zindajan district alone.
ENDS
