In the wake of the three devastating earthquakes that struck Herat Province between October 7 and 15, 2023, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) on Tuesday issued an urgent appeal for $25 million to support key parts of the recovery plan.

The earthquakes, measuring 6.3 in magnitude, left a trail of destruction affecting 1.6 million people, with over 1,500 deaths, 11,000 injuries, and widespread damage to over 21000 homes and infrastructure – rendering conditions unbearable for communities already grappling with deep poverty and underdevelopment, UNDP said in a statement.

The survivors, mostly women and children, are mainly living in tents, exposed to the cold, and in need of water, health care, food, and proper shelter, the statement said.

The UNDP appeal is part of a larger Herat Earthquake Response Plan developed by the UN Humanitarian Country Team, which needs $93.6 million to assist 114,000 people who are most in need during the winter. UNDP, in collaboration with UN partners and NGOs, has already allocated $3.15 million from its own resources for immediate relief and recovery. However, this is not enough to meet the huge demand for recovery and rebuilding, UNDP said.

“The situation on the ground is desperate and winter is fast approaching. Our goal is to help these communities restore basic infrastructure, especially shelter, and return to normalcy as quickly as possible. We’ve repurposed some of our existing resources so we can start moving quickly, but these resources are just not enough,” Stephen Rodriques, UNDP Resident Representative in Afghanistan, said.

UNDP’s appeal for an additional US$25 million aims to provide transitional and permanent shelter (using owner-driven Community Housing approaches), rebuild basic infrastructure, provide renewable energy particularly for households, schools and health facilities; restore and manage water systems and resources, and create temporary (cash-for-work) and longer-term jobs and livelihood opportunities.

“Amidst many other ongoing crisis globally, Afghanistan finds itself relegated to the periphery of international attention. The country does need assistance. This disaster comes on top of many disasters. Afghanistan has been through four decades of conflict. These quakes hit communities already living in profound poverty, and three out of eight people across the country don’t have adequate access to food. Now we have another disaster of enormous magnitude,” said Rodriques.

He emphasized: “we are appealing to the international community not to lose sight of Afghanistan and the needs of its people, and particularly the people in Herat who have just suffered this devastation.”