HERAT, AFGHANISTAN, 7 October 2024 – One year after the powerful earthquakes in western Afghanistan, communities are showing signs of recovery. Families are slowly getting back on their feet, rebuilding their homes and lives after the disaster.
But progress is fragile. Winter approaches and community resilience is still weak, threatening to reverse recovery efforts and further straining those still grappling with the loss of loved ones, homes and livelihoods.
The multiple 6.3-magnitude earthquakes last year upended the lives of 48,000 families. Around 1,480 people were reportedly killed and 1,950 people reportedly injured. Over 90 per cent of those reportedly killed were women and children. Many families were forced into tents with few resources to survive. UNICEF responded, targeting 96,000 children with urgent healthcare, water and sanitation, cash assistance, and psychosocial needs.
As part of the coordinated UN Herat Earthquake Response Plan, UNICEF led the response across several key sectors, including water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH); education; nutrition; and child protection. Additionally, UNICEF worked in close collaboration with other UN agencies to support the health sector and to facilitate the delivery of multipurpose cash assistance to affected populations.
“UNICEF was well prepared with pre-positioned emergency supplies. With support from our donor partners, who proactively mobilized additional resources, UNICEF responded quickly within days where children needed us most,” says Dr. Tajudeen Oyewale, UNICEF Representative in Afghanistan. “Within 24 hours, we were able to truck in safe water and established temporary health facilities, followed by distributions of supplies needed to survive the winter, such as blankets, family kits and winter clothing.”
In the one year since, UNICEF has prioritized rehabilitation of damaged water supply systems, rebuilding classrooms, and ensuring uninterrupted health and nutrition services for children and women. Over 1 million people have accessed healthcare through UNICEF-supported medical teams, facilities, and supplies, including 400,000 children under five years. UNICEF restored access to clean drinking water for 21,600 people and installed sanitation facilities for 25,000 people.
“Children cannot thrive without reliable essential services, particularly climate-resilient water systems. In regions like Herat, severely affected by drought and still rebuilding after the earthquakes, we must ensure communities have consistent, sustainable access to safe drinking water,” adds Dr. Oyewale.
UNICEF is committed not only to immediate relief during emergencies, but investing in longer term solutions that build communities’ resilience, ensuring families can adapt and recover from future disasters.
Resilience can be strengthened, for example, through improved disaster-response behaviours, promoting hygiene practices and developing essential systems such as water wells and health posts.
In the aftermath of the earthquakes, local communities actively worked to enhance their own resilience, with some residents taking the initiative to rebuild their own homes. In Karnail village, one community member went a step further, dedicating a portion of his newly reconstructed home to serve as a temporary school. This space is now supported by UNICEF with educational materials such as backpacks, notebooks, and other school supplies to ensure continuity of learning for children in the area.
Across Afghanistan, UNICEF supports children’s basic needs by strengthening the healthcare system, training and empowering community health workers, and constructing climate-friendly, sustainable water supply networks. UNICEF is also investing in the public education system to create safer, more conducive learning environments for children.
Yet as another bitter winter approaches, it is more crucial than ever to provide children and families in Afghanistan with the necessary services and resources to thrive, both now and in the future. Without this support, progress achieved so far could be reversed, putting the most vulnerable children at greater risk when new crises arise.
Media contacts
Daniel Timme
Chief, Communication & Advocacy
UNICEF Afghanistan
Tel: +93 799 987 110
Email: dtimme@unicef.org
Veronica Houser
Communication Specialist
UNICEF Afghanistan
Tel: +93 799 987 195
Email: vhouser@unicef.org