Two massive earthquakes have hit an already critical Afghanistan, leaving thousands in desperate need of support.
On the 7th October at 11am, a 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck Herat Province, Western Afghanistan. Five aftershocks followed on the same day and several more on the following days as well. The second major earthquake occurred on the 11th of October at 5am and was followed by three aftershocks. Zindakan district and Kushk Rabat Sangi, the epicenter of the earthquakes, have been severely impacted. Initial assessments reveal that fatalities have occurred across eight villages, with a total of 2053 reported deaths and 1240 individuals injured.
Please give now to CARE’s Global Emergency Fund to provide emergency aid including food, shelter, water and other lifesaving supplies to those affected by the earthquakes.
Donations to CARE’s Global Emergency Fund also support our Rapid Response Team, who prepare for, and respond to emergencies and disasters globally, providing life saving assistance.
The team has identified that affected households are in urgent need of cash, food, clean water and shelters, and also plan to distribute 120 dignity kits and 120 blankets to women and girls affected by the earthquake.
Approximately more than 12,000 individuals have been impacted by the earthquakes. The earthquakes have caused widespread damage to homes and infrastructure, and many people are still missing. The recent earthquakes, funding gaps, and the approaching winter threaten to worsen Afghanistan’s humanitarian crises.
The situation in Afghanistan has been tumultuous for some time: conflict forced more than 700,000 people from their homes in 2021, while drought, rising food prices, COVID-19, and economic decline have contributed to around half the country going to bed hungry each night. The country’s south-east is also still recovering from an earthquake of magnitude-6.1 that killed more than 1,000 people in June 2022.
Image: ©REUTERS/Ali Khara
