Attachments
A. SITUATION ANALYSIS
Description of the disaster
A 5.3 magnitude earthquake struck Badghis province on 17 January 2022 with its epicentre 41km east of Qala-e-Naw which is the capital of the province. The earthquake was shallow with a depth of 10km. Several aftershocks struck after the earthquake, which were not only felt in Badghis province but also in Ghor and Herat provinces. Initial reports from the earthquake highlighted a total of 26 fatalities and four casualties. The earthquake affected three out of seven districts of Badghis, namely Qadis, Muqur, and Qala-e-Naw with Qadis district being most severely impacted.
The total population in these three districts was estimated at around 260,000, out of which 7,000 people were estimated to be affected by the earthquake. A couple of days later, on 20 January, Badghis felt several aftershocks. Moreover, the weather was initially rainy and then turned to snow in most of the affected areas in Badghis, where most of the affected residents were residing outside their damaged houses in tents and makeshift shelters, fearful of further earthquakes.
This earthquake and the aftershocks happened when Afghanistan is facing a complex humanitarian crisis resulting from compounding impacts of conflict, drought, food insecurity, and displacement as well as gaps in health services. The situation in Afghanistan remains highly fluid after the change of government on 15 August 2021. Even before the change, Afghanistan was going through a crisis due to drought, which is the worst in 27 years, the COVID-19 pandemic and the socioeconomic impact of COVID-19. Badghis is one of the most vulnerable and worst drought-affected areas of Afghanistan.
Due to the winter season, the areas affected had experienced rain for two days before the earthquake, with temperatures below 10 degrees Celsius, compromising the structural integrity of the buildings, mostly made from mud. Those who have either lost their houses or have had their houses damaged by the earthquake face an extreme environment. At the same time, they were also experiencing a lack of access to food, winter supplies, and an economic downturn. The immediate needs of the affected population were food, clean water, shelter, sanitation facilities, hygiene items and household items.