More than 70 houses built by an international organization in three earthquake-affected villages of Zindajan district in Herat have been handed over to the victims.
According to the officials of this organization, the houses have been constructed in a standard manner and are equipped with toilets and water tanks for the affected families.
Mir Ahmad, one of the earthquake victims whose house was destroyed, has found a new shelter after about one and a half years. He, along with his seven family members, lived under a tent for months.
“We went through very difficult days. We had only one tent that would collapse with the wind and fall on my children. On cold and rainy nights, I had to set up the tent repeatedly. There were nights when I didn’t even sleep for 20 minutes because I had to take care of my children,” said Mir Ahmad.
“We have built and handed over houses with facilities such as toilets and water tanks for the earthquake victims in the villages of Chah Sawal, Shorabak, and Molana. Previously, we also built 73 houses in the village of Gharmoshk and handed them over to the victims. The goal is to save the afflicted people from the scorching sun and severe cold and provide them with shelter in these houses,” said Nooruddin Haqyar, the head of Islamic Welfare in Herat.
“Resilient and standard houses have been built for the earthquake victims. The Islamic Emirate continues its efforts to build more durable homes for the affected people,” said Enayatullah Saber, the deputy head of the Herat Natural Disaster Management Authority.
Despite the construction of new houses, the challenges for earthquake victims remain. The lack of clean drinking water, schools, and medical centers has created serious challenges for the people.
“We do not have a medical center in our area, and many women lose their lives during childbirth. Also, there are no schools, and our children remain illiterate. The roads are in poor condition, and we have to fetch drinking water from a well far away using animals,” said Darwish Ahmad, one of the victims.
“We don’t have a school, and our children are illiterate. Another problem is the lack of drinking water; we don’t have enough water to drink,” said Abdul Latif, another earthquake victim.
According to available information, last year’s earthquake destroyed more than 50,000 houses in the districts of Zindajan, Injil, Keshk Rabat Sangi, and Gulran in Herat province.
Local officials in Herat say that with the cooperation of international organizations, a large number of houses have been built for the earthquake victims of this province. However, improving basic infrastructure is still necessary for the full return to normal life.
