International aid saves lives as Herat battles continuing earthquakes

HERAT -- As powerful earthquakes have continued to hit Herat province over the past 10 days, destroying dozens of villages, emergency assistance provided by the international community has prevented a tragedy in the affected areas.

Herat province was struck by a 6.3-magnitude earthquake before noon on October 7, again by an earthquake of the same magnitude in the early morning of October 11 and a third in the morning of Sunday (October 15). All three earthquakes were followed by a series of powerful aftershocks.

In the immediate aftermath of the first quake, international aid organizations started providing tents, blankets, food, medical care, clean drinking water and other basic items.

United Nations (UN) relief organizations, the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the European Union (EU) and other aid organizations have been spearheading the efforts to bring aid to earthquake survivors, some of whom are in very remote areas of the province.

The UN World Food Program was one of the first to respond, dispatching food within eight hours of the initial earthquake. That food was in the hands of the affected population within 24 hours, the agency said.

USAID October 12 announced that the US government was providing an additional $12 million in immediate humanitarian assistance to meet the urgent needs of survivors.

Without international assistance, most of the survivors would have died from hunger and exposure to the elements, said Mohammad Hashem, 38, who lost four members of his family and his house in the earthquakes.

"The earthquake took everything we owned," he said. "We do not even have a glass of drinking water."

"Six of us, including three children, survived the earthquake, and aid agencies have provided us with tents, blankets and food," he said, adding that aid agencies distribute three meals a day to those affected, as well as flour, rice, oil, utensils and other household necessities.

"All of the houses in our village have been destroyed, and more than 450 people have died. Our village is located in a desert," Hashem said. "We would have died had it not been for the assistance."

While the international community is mobilizing to provide relief to tens of thousands of survivors in the affected areas, the "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" Khorasan branch (ISIS-K) has been making the situation worse by continuing to target civilians.

An ISIS-K attack on a Shia mosque in Pul-e-Khumri city, Baghlan province, during Friday prayers October 13 killed at least seven people and wounded 17 others.

Saving lives

International assistance to Herat's earthquake survivors is highly critical at this time, before winter sets in and residents whose houses have been destroyed are exposed to freezing temperatures.

"Our village is located in a desert without any facilities," said Aziz Ahmad, 18, a resident of Zindajan who lost two of his sisters in the first earthquake. "Since the entire village was destroyed, relief by aid agencies saved our lives."

"Aid agencies have distributed one tent to each family as well as blankets and food based on the number of family members," he said. "Aid has reached all of the affected villages. Not a single person was left out."

Health teams are working in his village, treating the injured and sick for free, he said.

Nazir Ahmad, 45, lives in Faizabad village of Injil district with his eight-member family, in a tent donated by the UN.

His house was destroyed, but none of his family members was hurt, he said.

"My children would have died in this cold weather, if we did not have this tent," he said. "There was a storm two nights ago, and we had nothing to warm ourselves up, but this tent has kept us warm."

"Aid agencies and charities bring us warm food daily," he said, adding that he is thankful for the support they have been receiving during these tough days.

Need for durable houses

More than 40,000 residents of Herat province have been affected by the earthquake and need assistance, said the UN.

Most of them have lost their houses and belongings and are completely dependent on the international community's assistance.

Abdul Rahman, 32, a resident of Parwana village in Injil district, said that all 644 houses in his village have been destroyed and no longer are habitable. He has a family of 10.

"On the first night of the earthquake, aid agencies distributed tents, blankets and food to us," he said. "That assistance saved our families from hunger and cold. Survey teams are active in villages and address every need of the survivors."

"This assistance is temporary. In the long run, we need more assistance," he said. "We call on the international community to build durable homes for us. Winter is close, and living in tents in cold weather is very difficult."

Survivors cannot rebuild their houses because of poverty and economic problems, Abdul Rahman added. They are in dire need of assistance from aid agencies and the international community.

Proper shelter from the cold weather is essential, said Abdul Zahir, 65, a resident of Zindajan district whose house was destroyed.

"In the mountainous villages in our area, temperatures in winter drop to -20 degrees Celsius. Living in a tent in that cold weather is not possible," said Abdul Zahir, who lost three members of his family in the first earthquake.

"The tent is a good ... temporary solution, but our main request of the aid agencies and international communities is to build permanent homes for us," he said.

"Our houses were destroyed, and our belongings are buried under rubble. We don't have even a single afghani to buy bread for our families," he added.

In the current situation, the only hope of the earthquake survivors is assistance from aid agencies, Abdul Zahir said.