On October 7, two back-to-back 6.3-magnitude earthquakes hit western Afghanistan, affecting Herat province. Thousands of people have been reported killed, and many more injured and missing. The disaster has displaced families and left them living in congested shelters with limited access to water and other resources.
International Medical Corps is coordinating with various humanitarian actors, including clusters, UN agencies, NGOs and the Afghan National Disaster Management Authority, to plan and implement a collective and effective response to the deadly earthquakes. Our teams are assessing the needs on the ground. We have already dispatched our first batch of relief items, including winterization kits, to the Zindajan district, which has reported high levels of destruction and displacement. We are also working to establish a mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) working group, train frontline staff on psychological first aid and lead the infant and young-child feeding technical working group in Herat at the request of the Nutrition cluster.
Previously, International Medical Corps immediately responded to another deadly earthquake that struck Paktika and Khost provinces in Afghanistan on June 22, 2022. And we are ready this time, too, to provide whatever help is needed. In the coming days, our priority will be to provide lifesaving services, including health, shelter, water, sanitation and hygiene, MHPSS, protection, and non-food items, to the affected people in Zindajan and Injil districts in Herat. At the same time, we are taking all necessary precautions to ensure the safety and well-being of our staff and partners on the ground.
*Please Note for recurring donations: Once we have determined that the community can continue to respond to the after-effects of this emergency without us, we will scale back our response efforts. At that time, we will redirect your future donations where they are needed most, to help us respond to future outbreaks of conflict, disease or disaster.
