UN appeals for $14.4 million to support earthquake survivors in Herat

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, on Friday launched an urgent appeal for $14.4 million to scale up its assistance for those affected by the tragic recent earthquakes in western Afghanistan.

“Hundreds of thousands of people in the province of Herat have been affected, requiring immediate assistance. The tremors, in quick succession, have left more than one thousand dead and thousands of others injured. Sadly, these estimated figures are likely to increase as the full scale of the disaster becomes apparent,” UNHCR spokesperson Eujin Byun said in a press briefing in Geneva.

She said that many survivors are forced to sleep under the open skies after the complete destruction of their mud houses in the affected zones. 

“Immediate needs include emergency shelters, heaters, kitchen sets, clean water, food and warm clothing ahead of the cold winter months. Women and children are among those hardest hit. Refugee Housing Units (RHUs) will be provided to overcrowded hospitals to accommodate survivors of the earthquakes who are currently receiving casualty treatment and sleeping outdoors,” she said.

UNHCR teams have been on the ground since day one and are scaling up the response, delivering tents, blankets, and other relief items including solar lamps and hygiene kits to those who have been displaced and lost everything. “We are working to ensure that people with special needs are identified and receive the required support, including those with disabilities, older people and child- and female-headed households,” Byun said.