TİKA Supports 1,000 Quake Affected Families in Herat with Winter Tents

Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) provided winter tents to 1,000 earthquake-affected families in Afghanistan’s Herat province.

TİKA, after delivering food parcels to 2,000 families affected by the 6.3 and 6.5 magnitude earthquakes with epicenter in the Zendejan district of Afghanistan's Herat province last October, has addressed a critical need by providing winter tents to 1,000 families in earthquake-affected villages, aiming to alleviate the pressing issue of shelter. In addition, TİKA installed 10 mobile toilets in the region.

The distribution of the tents delivered to the region was executed with the participation of Sinan İlhan, Türkiye's Consul General in Herat; Arafat Deniz, TİKA’s Coordinator in Herat; and officials from the Afghan Red Crescent.

Speaking at the tent distribution, Deniz said, “Given the widespread impact of the Herat earthquake on numerous settlements, with many people left homeless, our top priority was supplying tents to address the urgent shelter needs. We wanted to assist people who had to stay in the streets and parks without tents as the weather got colder.”

2,500 people had lost their lives

Herat province, located in western Afghanistan and bordering Iran, was hit by consecutive strong earthquakes on and after October 7th.

During that period, the region underwent four earthquakes, with the largest registering at 6.3, all occurring within a two-week span, accompanied by numerous aftershocks, many of which measured above 5.

Approximately 2,500 people lost their lives, and thousands were injured in the earthquakes.

After the earthquakes, numerous residents in Herat were compelled to spend the night outside.