Bamyan Foundation’s Humanitarian Aid Assistance for victims and survivors of Herat earthquakes - First Round:

During the devastating earthquakes in October this year in Herat, over 2,000 people lost their lives, thousands injured and countless homes turned into rubbles. Soon after, the international community via the main aid organizations began to assist the people of Herat.

While our team in the United States launched a fundraiser (https://goto.gg/f/48547), the Bamyan Foundation team on the ground began its efforts in the early days of the earthquakes, and focused on areas that were left out of the aid distribution by the major aid organizations. After completing our survey of the remote districts that were predominantly inhabited by Hazaras, and identifying those most affected and in need – our team began the aid distribution. We included Pashtun and Tajiks families in the aid distribution that were left out due to the deliberate neglect of the Hazara areas by the Taliban local government and the main aid organizations. 

Between October 7th and October 14th, Herat experienced seven deadly earthquakes that resulted to over 2,000 death and over 10,000 injured. Thousands of homes completely destroyed, and hundreds of thousands of people suffered physical and economic loss due to the earthquakes. Most of the victims were women and children. Men were mostly out of the homes while women and children were indoors, who were either instantly killed or trapped and tragically lost their lives under the debris.

Our team began its survey from Zinda Jan district of Heart. More than 12 villages were completely destroyed.

After identifying the areas and the affected people who were sidelined from the lifesaving aid by the local government and the aid organizations, our team decided to distribute the aid in the form of cash assistance. This enabled the aid recipients to use the funds based on their urgent needs.

Thanks to the generous donations of our supporters and matching by our partner Global Giving, the Bamyan team in the U.S. raised an amount of 3,886 USD that was sent to our team in Afghanistan that distributed the cash assistance as follows:

  • $3886 USD converted to 275,478 AFN

  • 253,000 AFN was distributed to 83 families (3,000 AFN per family) who were most in need and affected by the earthquakes. The aid recipients were from villages in Zirishk, Noqra, Shuhada township, Shogofan village & Ahamdi township, Islam Qala township, and families from the 9th, 12thand 13th zones of Heart.

  • 22,428 AFN as overhead cost for our volunteer team on the ground, and 58 AFN remains with our local team on the ground.

According to our survey, thousands of families have lost their breadwinners and with homes that aren’t in livable conditions. The earthquakes also seriously halted the already diminished economic activity that has resulted to additional loss jobs and income. Furthermore, the harsh winter has arrived, which adds to the people’s agony and hardship. These factors have the potential to cause another humanitarian tragedy that could prove as catastrophic as the earthquakes. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that the international community and major aid organizations continue their support for Herat.

And last but not least, one of the main challenges that the Bamyan team on the ground faced was the aid distribution permit by the Taliban. This would allow the Taliban to allow the aid to only selective areas, mainly the people and areas based on ethnic/racial affiliation coupled with ideology. As such, the Hazara areas remain sidelined from the aid distribution process as the Taliban would deny permits for aid distribution in Hazara areas. Our team managed to distribute the small assistance secretly and discreetly.

Once again, we are endlessly grateful to our wonderful supporters, particularly the Hazara-American community and Hazaras in Canada, the generous matching by Global Giving’s Safer World Fund, and our amazing local team in Herat who risked so much and worked tirelessly and discreetly to identify and distribute the aid to the most vulnerable families affected by the earthquakes.

December Assistance - Second Round:

Our team dispatched an additional aid package to support the most vulnerable families in Herat in December, thanks to additional donations via our fundraiser and Bamyan’s contribution. During the second round, our team distributed cash assistance for 53 families, 3,000 AFN per family, who were severely affected by the earthquakes in Herat.  The total aid package in the second round amounted to $2,565 USD or 159,000 AFN, including 2,376 CAD raised by our Hazara community in Canada.

The beneficiaries in this second round resided in 9th, 12th and 13th zones of Heart, and some of the families were from Engeel district, kora Mili, township of Reza, township of Shuhada, Sayed Abad Village, Khoshroad village and township of Hasan Ghafor.

Once again, these were among the most at-risk families that included vulnerable women, windows and orphans who were at the mercy of cold winter without food, water and shelter.