The earth shook nine times last Saturday in the Afghan province of Herat, with a magnitude of 6.3, near the border with Iran. The local disaster protection agency NDMA put the total number of deaths at more than 2,400; according to United Nations estimates, well over 11,000 people were affected by the accident. The UN released 4.7 million euros as emergency aid. There were aftershocks this Monday and nothing was initially known about anyone injured. Naeem Shah, head of the Johanniter country office in Kabul, is in contact with helpers on site.
SZ: Mr. Shah, how are the people in the affected areas currently doing?
Naeem Shah: People are totally shocked. For example, our teams spoke to someone who is the sole survivor of a family of 17. In the rural area hit by the earthquake, incomes are very low. So people have no cushion to absorb shocks like this.
What do people need most now?
Especially blankets because they have to sleep outside and the nights are pretty cool now. Otherwise, of course, they need food and the injured need medical care. And soon they will also need help rebuilding their houses and support with their livelihood. Many people in rural areas depend on livestock, and many animals have been buried under roofs. These cows, sheep and goats need to be replaced.
How did the earthquake come to have such devastating effects?
In the Herat region, summers are very hot and winters are very cold. That’s why the houses are built entirely out of clay, so it stays reasonably cool in summer and warm in winter. There are no stable wooden beams under the roof like in other regions of Afghanistan. The houses all collapsed due to the earthquake, village after village. In the Zinda Jan district, 13 villages have been almost completely destroyed. The earthquake hit the region in the morning, so houses collapsed on people. And the recovery machines, the cranes, are only now reaching the region. We therefore assume that the number of victims will continue to rise. If you look at the damage, it could end up being 5,000 or more dead.
How do you help the people in the region?
We can provide at least 500 families with relief supplies. And we hope, depending on the support from the German Foreign Office, that we can help at least 300 to 500 families rebuild their homes. To avoid duplication, we coordinate with other aid organizations. For example, if we provide the relief supplies, others take care of the medical care.
How well does cooperation with the Taliban work?
Since last year, the Taliban have introduced quite a few bureaucratic procedures. But these rules don’t apply in an emergency. So now the Taliban are supporting us, they are making our work easier. Because they know that we fill the gaps that exist in their government’s provision.
What help from abroad is needed now?
The Taliban government has not yet asked for international help. But they ask us, I was with a minister today and he asked for any help we can give. What we definitely need is financial support from abroad.