Afghan families still in need of vital support, one year after Herat earthquakes

Plagued by a severe funding shortfall, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) has warned that with winter rapidly approaching, the outlook for at least 25,000 Afghan families in Herat is bleak as they still lack adequate shelter a year after deadly earthquakes struck the province.

On October 7, 11 and 15 of last year, massive earthquakes hit the province, leaving over 275,000 people in urgent need of assistance.

The three 6.3 magnitude earthquakes devastated 382 villages, resulted in the death of 1,480 people and injured nearly 2,000 others.

Homes, health centers, schools and essential infrastructure were destroyed in an instant, further exacerbating the vulnerability of communities already grappling with the aftermath of decades of conflict and economic hardship.

While assistance was mobilized quickly, the challenges remain significant as many families continue to struggle in the wake of the earthquakes and have found it hard to recover – both psychologically and materially.

One such family is led by Tahmina, a 25-year-old mother from one of the worst-affected villages in Herat.

The earthquakes claimed the lives of fourteen members of her family, including her parents, siblings and younger relatives. Her children remain traumatized by the events, with one unable to laugh or walk since that tragic day.

Tahmina’s story reflects the difficulties faced by countless other Afghan families who were also affected by the earthquakes.

However, a severe funding shortfall is posing major challenges to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), which has helped drive the humanitarian assistance process in Herat and across Afghanistan.

In a report published this week, UNOCHA said Afghanistan’s Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan (HNRP) faces a severe funding shortfall, having received only $961.7 million – 31.4 percent of the $3.06 billion required.

This $2.09 billion funding gap threatens essential aid programmes as humanitarian needs remain acute.

The agency also reported that from July to September, widespread flash floods impacted more than 18,900 people across 14 provinces, damaging homes, livestock and agricultural assets, which are vital resources for food security.

“Additionally, since January 2024, cross-border returns have surged, with over 1.1 million Afghans returning from Iran and Pakistan – 243,000 from Pakistan and 825,000 from Iran – adding further strain on limited resources,” the report read.

UNOCHA stated that the critical funding gap of $2.09 billion includes an urgent $1.09 billion shortfall in healthcare, nutrition, sanitation and shelter sectors.

As a result of this shortfall, 3.7 million people have been left without access to primary and secondary healthcare services, while hundreds of thousands of children and pregnant women are missing essential nutritional support.

Emergency shelter and sanitation resources are also lacking, leaving thousands affected by floods and earthquakes without long-term housing solutions, the report read.

In addition, food assistance has been scaled back, excluding entire districts from critical support and increasing the risk of malnutrition.

UNOCHA in turn appealed to donors to provide timely and consistent funding to sustain humanitarian operations and ensure aid reaches those in greatest need.

“Increased international engagement with Afghan authorities could also facilitate access and support the effective delivery of assistance,” the report read, adding that “without prompt action to address the critical funding gap, Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis will deepen, leaving millions in precarious and increasingly vulnerable conditions.