RASC News Agency: The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has reported that the condition of those impacted by the Herat earthquake remains deeply fragile. In its latest assessment, UNICEF emphasizes that displaced individuals and those affected by the disaster continue to be in dire need of humanitarian aid, describing their current situation as “profoundly distressing.”
The organization has called for increased support for children and heightened efforts to strengthen the resilience of affected communities in these regions. While the report notes some encouraging signs of recovery in western Afghanistan where families are slowly regaining their footing and rebuilding their homes and lives after the “devastation” UNICEF warns that the looming winter threatens to reverse these recovery efforts. The fragile resilience of the affected communities is at risk, especially among those still grappling with the loss of family members, homes, and livelihoods.
As part of the UN’s coordinated response to the Herat earthquakes, UNICEF has been actively providing assistance across key sectors, including water, healthcare, education, nutrition, and child protection. The multiple earthquakes, measuring up to 6.3 on the Richter scale, that struck parts of Herat province last year, left 48,000 families in devastation. According to reports, around 1,480 people perished in the disaster, with another 1,950 sustaining injuries.
Tragically, over 90 percent of the victims were women and children. Many families, having lost everything, were forced to live in makeshift tents with minimal resources in the aftermath of the disaster. Despite some progress, survivors remain heavily reliant on aid and have not yet fully recovered, continuing to require sustained support from relief organizations.
