HERAT CITY (SW) – A year after the devastating earthquake in the Zinda Jan district of Herat, survivors report ongoing struggles with access to basic living essentials.
Mohammad Ali, a resident of Zinda Jan district, highlights the critical shortage of shelter, drinking water, and medical facilities. “We have over 50 patients every day in our village that we have to take to the city,” he explains. “This clinic is inadequate for our needs, and we receive no support.”
Sulaiman, another local, shares that humanitarian aid has been halted for the past four months. “For four months now, all assistance has been cut off; there is absolutely nothing. The help we received in the past has completely stopped.”
Mahgul, who lost everything in last year’s earthquake, expresses her despair. “We have no shelter, and with the cold weather, life has become unbearable,” she says anxiously. “We have nothing—no fuel or other necessary supplies. The government gave us some money once or twice, but it was insufficient.”
Mohammad Ebrahim, who now lives in a makeshift camp, adds, “If the weather gets any colder, we’ll have to find shelter in areas that people have dug out for protection against natural disasters, as there’s nowhere else to go.”
Despite these dire conditions, Musa Ashari, head of Disaster Management in Herat, states that nearly 2,000 additional houses are needed for earthquake survivors in the province.
“Assessments show that around 9,600 houses need to be built for the earthquake victims. Of these, over 7,000 have been constructed, but the remainder still requires attention,” he said.
The deadly earthquake struck a year ago in several districts, including Zinda Jan, Injil, Gulran, Guzara, Ghoriyan, Karukh, and Kohsan in Herat, causing significant casualties and financial losses.
According to the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), the earthquake claimed the lives of 1,480 people, injured 1,950, and destroyed nearly 49,000 homes.
