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Humanitarian context
On 7 October 2023, a 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck 40 kilometres west of Herat City in Herat Province, western Afghanistan. Several powerful aftershocks followed. On 11 October, another powerful earthquake of the same strength as the first one hit Herat Province, followed by two aftershocks.
More than 275,000 people in nine districts were directly affected by the earthquakes and aftershocks. The devastation was widespread, with 48,000 households destroyed or damaged.
Around 21,300 public buildings also sustained damage, including health facilities and schools. As a result, more than 37,000 families* were forced to live in makeshift tents and open spaces, leaving them vulnerable to harsh weather, health concerns and safety hazards.
The earthquake struck communities which were already extremely vulnerable and had lived with decades of conflict, poverty and food insecurity. Many families had already been internally displaced by previous conflict and natural disasters. Before the earthquake, Afghanistan was already home to around 3.2 million internally displaced people, over 52,000 refugees and some 13,500 Afghan refugee returnees.