More than six months after a series of earthquakes struck northwest Afghanistan, the reconstruction process is slowly taking place. Earthquake victims spent the entire winter in tents. The Red Cross says now that warm spring weather is on the way, cleanup and construction work can’t begin.

About two million people were affected in one way or another by the series of earthquakes that struck the western border province of Herat in October last year. Within about a week, three 6.3 magnitude earthquakes occurred in the same area. There were also several aftershocks.

The first earthquake was the strongest in Afghanistan in the past 20 years. About 2,500 people are said to have been killed, according to the Taliban, which holds power, and 2,000 people were injured. In all three cases, the epicenter of the earthquake was a few tens of kilometers from the provincial capital Herat, the country’s second largest city.

People who survived the natural disaster witnessed the collapse of their homes. Almost all of the homes were built of mud or clay and “collapse very quickly in an earthquake,” Red Cross spokeswoman Danielle Brewer said in a statement. Radio NOS 1 News.

A sister organization of the Red Cross, the Red Crescent, is now looking into how to build earthquake-resistant homes. The relief organization therefore employs engineers who must determine what materials are needed and available for this purpose, Brewer says.

Many people are currently still living among the rubble, in tents. “They have just survived a very harsh winter. The weather can get very cold in Afghanistan with strong winds and snow.” To overcome these cold winds, people dug holes to take shelter in their tents.

According to Brewer, the Red Cross tried to provide some warmth by distributing blankets and strengthening tents. “But due to the extreme cold, it has not yet been possible to remove the rubble and reconstruction has not yet been able to begin.”

In addition to reconstruction, more help is needed, Brewer says. “Because almost the entire population lives below the poverty line, people actually need everything.” The Red Cross distributes meals to people in remote areas. Victims are also given cash so they can decide for themselves what they need. “This is also good for the local economy.” In addition, the relief organization established mobile clinics to provide victims with medicines and medical assistance.

The Red Cross is doing all this relief work in consultation with and with the approval of the Taliban, which has returned to power since NATO’s withdrawal in 2021. “As a neutral organization, we have only one goal and that is to help people. This allows us to go to all those places.” Since the Taliban took power, financial support from other countries has become less.

Although aid is being provided and the reconstruction process is slowly starting, it is difficult for the Red Cross to estimate the outlook for the displaced. “Precisely because the country has been suffering from economic crises, conflicts, droughts, floods and earthquakes for years,” says Brewer. “But we must not forget Afghanistan.”