Quake-stricken Badghis residents receive cash assistance

BADGHIS -- The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) is providing support to Badghis province residents whose houses were destroyed in the earthquake and flooding of January 2022.

A 5.3 magnitude earthquake shook Badghis and some neighbouring provinces in January 2022, destroying more than 1,000 houses in Qadis and Moqor districts.

Ahead of the tremor, heavy rains had caused flooding that weakened the structure of hundreds of houses in the city of Qala-e-Naw and several districts in the province, leaving them vulnerable to further damage.

IOM identified families to receive assistance through a survey, and on February 25 distributed about 83 million AFN ($930,000) in cash assistance to some 1,376 families in Qala-e-Naw.

The cash package included 132,000 AFN ($1,490) for families whose houses were lost, 43,200 AFN ($486) for severely damaged houses and 26,400 AFN ($297) for moderately damaged houses.

Badghis resident Mohammad Zarif's house was destroyed by the earthquake. For the past year, the 72-year-old Moqor district resident has been living in a tent with his six family members.

"We spent the cold winter in a tent, and it was very difficult," he said, adding that he will start rebuilding his house soon with the 132,000 AFN from the IOM.

"I had completely lost hope and did not imagine that someone would help me build a shelter for my family," he said.

"Not only was my house destroyed, but our agricultural land had no harvest, either, and we became very poor," Zarif added.

Regaining hope

Families affected by the earthquake and floods in Badghis province say the IOM's financial support has helped them regain hope.

Qadis district resident Akhtar Mohammad, 49, lost his house in the earthquake, as well as two of his children, who were killed when the roof collapsed.

He said he has been living in a tent with his family for the past year.

"When my house was destroyed, I lost hope," he said. "I could not imagine that I would ever be able to rebuild my house. But now, I can rebuild it, thanks to the support provided by the IOM."

"If such assistance had not been provided, we would have never been able to rebuild our house," he said. "We find it very challenging to earn a living, and rebuilding our house was a far greater financial burden.'

Mohammad said the assistance provided by relief organisations' intervention in this critical situation has saved many Afghans from poverty and hunger.

"These days we are suffering from unemployment and economic hardships," said Ab Kamari district resident Mohammad Younus, 68, whose house sustained damage in the flooding.

"The cash assistance package is indeed a very big help," he said. "We really needed this money to rebuild our houses. Without such support, there was no more hope. There was no one to support us in building new houses."

"It is very difficult to live in a tent," Younus said, adding that his family had no choice, suffering through both cold weather and illness.

"I did not even have money to pay for their treatment," he added, expressing his hope that next year, his family will be sheltered from the cold.

Need for more support

Droughts also greatly affected farmers and residents of Badghis last year, with most of the province's agricultural land seeing minor yields, leaving farmers unable to cover the expenses they had incurred to cultivate their land.

Natural disasters, along with unemployment and the ongoing economic crisis, have deepened the suffering of Badghis residents in the past year and a half.

Abdul Ahad, 56, of Qadis district, said he can rebuild his house with the assistance he has received, but his six children will continue to be hungry.

"We can eat only once or twice a day," he said. "Our food is a loaf of bread with tea or water. It has been several months since we've had any rice in the house, and we cannot buy oil."

"There is no source of support other than international relief organisations that can reach the poor," he said.

"The assistance must continue so we can survive."

Moqor district resident Mohammad Awaz, 63, said almost all Afghans are dependent on humanitarian assistance from international aid organisations.

"Relief organisations have saved the lives of many Afghans," he said.

"As this is a critical time when the economy has collapsed and there is literally no work, a disaster would have happened if such assistance did not come through," he added.

"Most of the needy receive a food assistance package from humanitarian organisations every month, but the aid does not reach everyone," he noted.

"Poverty and hunger are widespread, and it is very difficult – even impossible – to support everyone," he said.