Updated: 9/10/2023
On Saturday 7 October 2023, between 11am and 12pm local time a series of earthquakes hit western Afghanistan, 40km northwest of Herat city.
The initial earthquake reached 6.8 magnitude with reports suggesting 1,023 people have been killed, 1,663 people injured and over 11,5000 families severely affected.
The Afghan Red Crescent Society has teams on the ground helping with rescue efforts and providing aid to people across the Herat province.
The earthquake hit at a time when people in Afghanistan are already struggling to survive. The country is facing a third year of drought-like conditions and second year of crippling economic decline.
40 years of conflict and recurrent natural disasters have left at least 28.8 million people (two thirds of the population) in need of urgent humanitarian assistance. It’s the second deadly earthquake to strike Afghanistan in two years. In June 2022, the provinces of Paktika and Khost were hit by a 5.9 magnitude quake that killed more than 1,000 people and left tens of thousands homeless.
People need our help, please donate to the Afghanistan Crisis Appeal.
How will my donation help people in Afghanistan?
Your donation will help us deliver food, water, basic medical supplies and shelter, as well as looking further to the future and how we can help people rebuild their lives after the earthquake.
How is the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement responding?
Our teams are providing 10,000 blankets, 4,000 tarpaulins, 6,000 jerrycans plus food parcels for 2,000 households. We’re also doubling provisions to help people prepare for winter.
The Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement has been helping the people of Afghanistan for over 30 years.
Our teams are on the ground in all 34 of the country's provinces – including isolated rural areas – providing essential relief and supporting hospitals and medical facilities.
We have 140 health teams, including 70 mobile teams who cover the entire country, providing primary healthcare such as routine immunisations in areas other agencies are unable to reach.
We are also committed to providing longer-term support in Afghanistan, particularly to women and girls.
Our network of staff and 40,000 volunteers are working hard to support families through the multiple crises they’re facing right now. You can help Afghanistan by making a donation.
The Afghanistan Crisis Appeal will support people in areas currently affected and those potentially affected in the future by the crisis. In the unlikely event that we raise more money than can be reasonably and efficiently spent, any surplus funds will be used to help us prepare for and respond to other humanitarian disasters anywhere in the world. For more information visit https://donate.redcross.org.uk/appeal/disaster-fund.
