By: Sofia Slootskiy
On October 11, 2023, a hurricane with a magnitude of 6.3 hit Afghanistan This resulted in a total of 140 injuries and 1 fatality in Herat City and Injil district. Villages in the Districts of Gulran, Injil and Kush sustained damages following the earthquake.Prior earthquakes from October 7th have resulted in2,400 fatalities,several hundred missing persons,and 1,714 destroyed residences. In total, 11,066 people have been affected by the earthquakes.
On October 15, 2023, areas northeast of Herat city were hit by a 6.3 magnitude earthquake, resulting in two casualties and over 150 injuries. Engineering assessments are being prioritized to differentiate between structural and cosmetic damage in order to allow displaced residents to return to their homes. Currently, the Injil district has been the most adversely affected, with the damage of this district accounting for 53% of everyone affected in the country.
By October 19, 2023, thousands of reported fatalities and even more injuries have been caused by the earthquakes. Women and children make up the majority of the victims (approx. 55% of fatalities, approx. 61% of injuries). 3,067 homes have been affected across Zindajan, Injil, Kushk / Rabat-e-Sangai, Ghulan, Herat and Khosan districts, 2,499 of which have been completely destroyed, 363 of which have been severely damaged, and 250 of which have been moderately damaged. The majority of damaged/destroyed homes are located in the Zindajin and Injil districts,making them the most vulnerable to the effects of these earthquakes.
42-year-old Sayed Kazim Rafiqi, a Herat city resident, claims that he “has never seen such devastation”. He, along with others, have made admirable efforts to try and help Afghan citizens affected by the earthquakes through means of donating blood, which is vital to injured victims of earthquakes. "We have to help in any way possible," says Rafiqi.
Click here to donate to Afghan Earthquake relief.
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