After a devastating 6.3 magnitude earthquake and its aftershocks destroyed thousands of homes in Herat, Afghanistan, the Afghan Red Crescent Society, the IFRC and other partners worked tirelessly to help people rebuild. Earlier this month, hundreds of local residents moved into newly built shelters.

By Sayed Eshaq Muqbel and Rachel Punitha

It was a celebration of resilience and the possibility of a new life.  In early November 2024, people in the Gulran and Zinda Jan districts of Herat, Afghanistan, gathered to mark the completion of 288 newly built homes. 

The new dwellings were constructed by the Afghan Red Crescent, the IFRC and other local partners for people who lost their homes due to a devastating series of quakes that hit the region in October 2023. 

Attended by staff members of the IFRC, the Afghan Red Crescent, the provincial governor of Herat, and local media, the event also acknowledged the resilience of families who faced so much devastation after the earthquake – some losing many family members. 

After receiving the keys to their new homes, the families began the process of moving in.

“We are so happy to have a new home,” said Fahima, a 45-year-old woman whose family now has a safe place to live. “We have been staying in tents, but now we have proper shelter.” 

“When the earthquake wiped away our house and belongings, we lost everything,” she added. “We struggled to find food to survive, and our children had to sleep in tents. We are eight family members, and now, with this home, our lives are so much better compared to what we endured before the earthquake.”  

‘Terrifying nights’

Gulalai (not her real name), from Shakar Ab village in the Gulran District, says the new shelter offers her family a chance to start again.

“We are a family of 11,” she shared, recalling the chaotic moments during the quake. “When the earthquake struck, we fled our home and sought refuge outdoors. We faced terrifying nights in makeshift accommodations, terrified for our safety. At least now we have a proper home just nearby, and I can say with certainty that we are going to start a new life in our new home.”

Before getting access to her new home, she and her three children resorted to huddling together under a tattered blanket. The weight of fear and helplessness as they struggled to endure the cold nights without shelter or security still plagues her.

The 40-year-old mother’s home in Zinda Jan was reduced to ruins by a disaster that left its mark across four provinces, claiming over 2,000 lives and ravaging 382 villages in ten districts. 

In the wake of the disaster, the IFRC developed a comprehensive shelter strategy in which support was provided through conditional cash grants, with people from the affected communities carrying out the construction work. They were aided by masons, volunteers, social mobilisers, and engineers from ARCS and IFRC. 

Religious scholars and key community members were also included in many stages of the planning and execution.

“It took about seven months, and the shelter work was completed,” says Hafiz Sadat, an IFRC Senior Shelter Officer who managed the project and provided technical support to the ARCS team.

‘It was catastrophic’

Ghulam Mahboob, a 45-year-old resident of Shakar Ab village, reflects on the devastation caused by the earthquake. 

“It was catastrophic; many people lost their lives and their homes,” he says. “We had no choice but to live for a very long time in the tent provided by the ARCS. Well, our shelters are finally ready, and we are very grateful to ARCS and everyone who helped address our most pressing needs. We still face urgent challenges in other areas, such as access to electricity, clean drinking water, and education for our children.”

At the onset of the earthquake, the IFRC shelter, and disaster response teams were deployed to the impacted areas and, in collaboration with the ARCS, emergency items, cash, psychosocial support were delivered to the affected families. 

While medical care, psychosocial support, water and sanitation were the most immediate needs, there were other needs as many of the people who kept family and community life going lost their lives during the quake.

“Both my sons have lost their wives in the earthquake,” said one elderly man. “Not only is there is no one to help make bread for the family, but there is no cooking and heating equipment as well. My sons and I must go outside of the village to earn a living.” 

Even with the new homes, therefore, the families still face many challenges ahead. For this reason, the IFRC and ARCS continue their commitment to accompany the impacted families in their path to recovery. 

That support has been consistent since the beginning. With support from the IFRC, the ARCS has reached 2,100 households with emergency shelters and household items such as tents or tarpaulins, blankets, jerry cans, kitchen sets and sleeping pads. Overall, the ARCS provided a wide range of assistance to more than 87,000 people. 

Much of this support was made possible by resources mobilized through a comprehensive  IFRC Emergency Appeal that addressed the impacts of multiple shocks, including severe drought, flooding, public health emergencies, economic hardship and the Herat earthquakes.