A strong earthquake with a magnitude of 6.3 struck western Afghanistan on Sunday, according to the US Geological Survey. This region had already experienced a series of deadly tremors the previous week, resulting in over 1,000 casualties.
The earthquake occurred just after 8 am, with its epicenter located 33 kilometers northwest of Herat city, the capital of the province with the same name. A magnitude 5.5 aftershock followed 20 minutes later.
As reported by Abdul Qadeem Mohammadi, the head doctor at Herat Regional Hospital, there have been 93 injured individuals and one fatality registered so far. Authorities are still assessing the extent of the destruction caused by the earthquake.
Residents in Herat city continue to fear aftershocks, forcing them to sleep outdoors even a week after the initial series of quakes began. However, some have bravely returned to sleeping indoors. Hamid Nizami, a 27-year-old shopkeeper, explained, “Herat’s people are panicked and scared. It’s Allah’s blessing that it happened during the day when people were awake.”
On October 7, the same area experienced another magnitude 6.3 earthquake, followed by eight powerful aftershocks. These tremors caused severe damage to rural homes. The Taliban government reported over 1,000 casualties from the previous week’s tremors, while the World Health Organization (WHO) stated that the figure was almost 1,400 late Saturday.
Days after the initial quakes, another earthquake of similar intensity occurred, resulting in one fatality and 130 injuries. Thousands of terrified residents were left without shelter as volunteers searched for survivors. Unfortunately, dust storms damaged the tents where survivors were living.
Shopkeeper Nizami expressed the dire situation, saying, “Many of our countrymen don’t have any place to live, and nights are getting colder.”
The WHO estimates that nearly 20,000 people have been affected by these consecutive disasters, with women and children being the majority of the victims. Thousands of residents are now living amidst the ruins of their homes, where entire families perished in an instant.
Mohammad Naeem, a forty-year-old resident, lost 12 relatives, including his mother, in the previous week’s quakes. He believes it is impossible to continue living in the area, stating, “We can’t live here anymore. You can see, our family got martyred here. How could we live here?”
Due to Afghanistan’s geographical location, earthquakes are frequent in western and central areas. These tremors occur as the Arabian and Eurasian tectonic plates collide with each other.
Providing shelter on a large scale presents a challenge for the Taliban government, which took power in August 2021 and has strained relations with international aid organizations. Public health minister Qalandar Ebad admits that while people could live in tents for about a month, extending the duration would likely be very difficult.
Rural homes in Afghanistan are mostly constructed with mud and wooden support poles, lacking steel or concrete reinforcement. Given that extended families often live together under one roof, a major earthquake can devastate entire communities.
Afghanistan is already experiencing a severe humanitarian crisis due to the withdrawal of foreign aid following the Taliban’s return to power.