ISLAMABAD — More than $400 million is needed to help western Afghanistan recover and rebuild after a devastating earthquake last October that killed about 2,000 people, the United Nations said Wednesday.
The magnitude 6.3 earthquake on October 7, one of the most destructive in the country’s recent history, flattened entire villages in Herat province and also left thousands injured and homeless. Months later, survivors are still struggling to rebuild their lives.
A new UN report, released in collaboration with the World Bank, the European Union and the Asian Development Bank, estimates that there is “an urgent need for $402.9 million to support critical recovery and reconstruction efforts in the province. ”
According to the report, recovery strategies should prioritize restoring access to basic services and building earthquake-safe housing, especially for the most affected families. It said the assessment of urgent needs relied on field data, publicly available information and remote analyses.
The report represents the first joint assessment since August 2021 and demonstrates an international determination to meet the needs of disaster-affected communities and support their recovery.
About nine districts with a population of about 2.2 million have been surveyed and a detailed breakdown of the numbers affected is provided, including categories such as pregnant women, infants and people with disabilities.
According to the report, Herat, Injil and Zindajan districts were the hardest hit, with rural and vulnerable communities suffering the most.
“We are determined not only to meet immediate needs, but also to ensure a sustainable and resilient recovery for those affected by the earthquakes,” said Indrika Ratwatte, Deputy Representative and Humanitarian Coordinator of the UN chief .
“This tragedy presents an opportunity to rebuild stronger, more inclusive and more resilient communities,” Ratwatte added.
Earthquakes are common in Afghanistan, where there are a number of fault lines and frequent movements between three nearby tectonic plates.
Afghans are still reeling from recent earthquakes, including last March’s magnitude 6.5 earthquake that struck much of western Pakistan and eastern Afghanistan, and an earthquake that struck eastern Afghanistan in June 2022 , flattening stone and mudbrick houses and killing at least a thousand people.