In October last year, the Afghan province of Herat was struck by a 6.3-magnitude earthquake. Dutch humanitarian organisations and their Afghan partners rushed to support the survivors. As project leader of the relief efforts in Herat, Cordaid produced a poignant report on the disaster and the emergency response.
While much of the world has its eyes on the events in the Middle East, on October 7, Afghans commemorate a different disaster. The earthquake in Herat claimed 1,482 lives and left nearly 300,000 people needing emergency assistance.
Members of the Dutch Relief Alliance immediately sprang into action. Aid workers provided medical care, food, water, trauma support, and shelter to people who, in many cases, had lost everything.
Dire Humanitarian Situation
Following the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, the Afghan economy collapsed, and international sanctions, along with various natural disasters, rapidly worsened an already dire humanitarian situation.
In this extremely challenging context, the earthquake in Herat further devastated the lives of thousands of Afghans. Additionally, much of the province’s infrastructure lay in ruins. However, thanks to the efforts of Dutch organisations and their Afghan partners, emergency relief was quickly mobilised.
Dutch Relief Alliance: The Power of Local Collaboration
The Dutch Relief Alliance is a coalition of 14 relief organisations working closely with local partners to provide life-saving assistance in the world’s largest crises. The alliance’s efforts are funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In an online magazine, survivors share their harrowing experiences, and humanitarian staff talk about their work during those frantic first days following the disaster. Afghan photographer Sayed Aman Sadat provided the photography for the report.
