According to the United Nations Children’s Agency, nearly 100,000 children in Afghanistan are in urgent need of assistance three months after earthquakes caused devastation in the western region of the country.

On October 7th, a 6.3-magnitude earthquake caused significant damage in Herat province. Just four days later on October 11th, another powerful quake hit the same province. These natural disasters resulted in a death toll of over 1,000 people, with a majority of victims being women and children in the Zinda Jan and Injil districts. According to UNICEF, 21,000 homes were also destroyed in the affected areas.

According to Fran Equiza, who serves as the UNICEF representative in Afghanistan, the villages in western Afghanistan are still heavily burdened by the aftermath of the earthquakes. Even 100 days later, families are still coping with the complete devastation and loss they experienced.

“Despite the challenges, children are persevering through the loss and distress. The destruction of schools and health facilities, which are essential for children, is irreparable,” he stated.

Equiza stated that on top of everything else, winter has arrived and temperatures are below freezing. He expressed concern for children and families who are without homes and must endure dangerously cold conditions at night without any means to heat their temporary shelters.

According to UNICEF, there is a pressing need for $1.4 billion in 2024 to address the humanitarian and essential requirements of 19.4 million individuals in Afghanistan, which makes up half of the country’s population.

The lack of investment in public services by the Taliban has led to a decline in the quality of essential services, making it difficult for at-risk communities to bounce back from crises and strengthen their resilience, according to the agency.

Equiza expressed gratitude to our donor partners for their swift resource mobilization, which allowed UNICEF to promptly address the pressing needs of children and their families in Herat.

However, further assistance is necessary to guarantee that children not only make it through the winter, but also have the opportunity to flourish in the future months and years, he stated.

Daniel Timme, who oversees communication for UNICEF in Afghanistan, stated that schools, homes, health facilities, and water systems were all devastated.

According to Timme, although there is some financial support, it is insufficient. He believes that these communities must regain their independence and simply extinguishing the current crisis is not sufficient. Instead, efforts must be made to build resilience in Afghanistan.

UNICEF reported on Monday that a total of 23.3 million people, including 12.6 million children, in Afghanistan require humanitarian aid in 2024. This is primarily due to the ongoing effects of a prolonged conflict, severe weather events, and the country’s significant economic decline.

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This report includes contributions from Riazat Butt, a writer for the Associated Press based in Islamabad.