Delivering lifesaving humanitarian assistance to earthquake-affected communities in Herat Province
TYPE: Emergency Relief – Non-Food Item (NFI) Assistance and Protection under the DERF Rapid Response Mechanism
IMPLEMENTATION PERIOD: 16 November 2023 – 15 March 2024
GEOGRAPHICAL FOCUS: Herat Province, Afghanistan
DONOR: Danish Emergency Relief Fund (DERF)
GRANT HOLDER: Rebuild Aid Forening (Denmark)
LOCAL IMPLEMENTING ORGANIZATION: Saifrood Unity and Aid Organization (SUAO)
TARGET GROUP: Earthquake-affected households who lost their homes and access to essential household items, with particular attention to women, children, older persons, persons with disabilities and other vulnerable families.
Project Overview
The Herat Earthquake Relief: Providing Urgent Aid to Victims project was implemented following one of the most devastating natural disasters in Afghanistan’s recent history. Beginning in October 2023, a series of powerful earthquakes struck Herat Province, destroying entire villages, damaging thousands of homes and leaving large numbers of families without shelter, food, clothing or essential household belongings.
As winter approached, humanitarian needs became increasingly severe. Thousands of people were forced to live in damaged buildings, temporary tents or makeshift shelters that offered little protection against cold temperatures, wind and rain. Many families had lost not only their homes but also their clothing, bedding, cooking equipment and other essential household items.
To respond rapidly to these urgent humanitarian needs, Saifrood Unity and Aid Organization (SUAO), in partnership with Rebuild Aid Forening and with financial support from the Danish Emergency Relief Fund (DERF), implemented a rapid emergency intervention aimed at helping vulnerable households survive the winter and begin their recovery with dignity.
Humanitarian Context
The earthquakes caused widespread destruction across rural communities in Herat Province.
Entire villages experienced severe structural damage, while public infrastructure, roads and essential services were also affected.
Thousands of families suddenly faced multiple humanitarian challenges simultaneously, including:
- Loss of shelter
- Lack of food
- Shortage of blankets and winter clothing
- Limited access to clean water
- Damaged household belongings
- Poor sanitation conditions
- Increased protection risks
- Limited access to healthcare
- Loss of livelihoods
Children, pregnant women, older persons and persons with disabilities were among those facing the highest risks during the emergency.
The approaching winter significantly increased the danger of hypothermia, respiratory illness and further humanitarian deterioration.
Rapid Humanitarian Needs Assessment
Immediately following the earthquakes, SUAO deployed emergency field teams to the affected communities.
Working closely with village leaders, community representatives and local authorities, the teams conducted rapid humanitarian needs assessments to identify the households facing the greatest levels of vulnerability.
Assessments examined:
- Damage to homes
- Household size and composition
- Shelter conditions
- Access to food and water
- Availability of blankets and clothing
- Presence of vulnerable family members
- Existing humanitarian assistance
- Immediate protection concerns
The assessments ensured that assistance reached households with the most urgent humanitarian needs.
Emergency Relief Assistance
Based on the assessment findings, SUAO organised the distribution of emergency relief packages containing essential household items required for immediate survival and protection.
Relief assistance included:
- Food supplies
- Warm blankets
- Winter clothing
- Hygiene kits
- Essential non-food items (NFIs)
- Basic household supplies
The assistance enabled families to meet their immediate needs while reducing exposure to cold weather and improving living conditions during the emergency phase.
For many households, this represented the only humanitarian assistance received during the first months following the disaster.
Protection of Vulnerable Groups
Protection considerations were integrated throughout the project.
Particular attention was given to:
- Women
- Children
- Older persons
- Persons with disabilities
- Female-headed households
- Families with limited support networks
Distribution arrangements were organised to maximise safety, dignity and equal access to assistance.
Field teams also worked closely with communities to identify households requiring additional support during registration and distribution.
Community Coordination
Strong community coordination was fundamental to the success of the intervention.
SUAO worked closely with:
- Village elders
- Community development councils
- Local authorities
- Religious leaders
- Community volunteers
- Humanitarian actors operating in Herat
This coordination helped verify beneficiary information, minimise duplication, facilitate distributions and strengthen transparency throughout implementation.
Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL)
The project integrated SUAO’s Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) system throughout implementation.
Monitoring activities included:
- Verification of beneficiary registration
- Distribution monitoring
- Household follow-up visits
- Beneficiary interviews
- Observation of relief distributions
- Documentation of project outputs
- Review of implementation quality
- Community feedback collection
- Lessons learned documentation
Monitoring confirmed that assistance reached the intended households and helped identify additional needs emerging during the recovery period.
The information gathered through MEAL strengthened operational decision-making and informed future emergency responses implemented by SUAO.
Post-Distribution Monitoring
Following the distributions, SUAO conducted Post-Distribution Monitoring (PDM) with beneficiary households.
The objective was to understand:
- Whether families received the intended assistance
- Whether relief items met priority needs
- Beneficiary satisfaction with the distribution process
- Accessibility of assistance
- Remaining unmet humanitarian needs
- Protection concerns
- Recommendations for future emergency interventions
The findings demonstrated that blankets, winter clothing and essential household items significantly reduced winter-related risks and helped restore a basic level of dignity for affected families.
The PDM process also generated valuable operational learning that strengthened SUAO’s future humanitarian programming.
Accountability to Affected Communities
Accountability formed an integral part of the project.
Beneficiaries received clear information regarding:
- Selection criteria
- Distribution schedules
- Available assistance
- Their rights during implementation
- Complaints and feedback mechanisms
SUAO’s Complaints and Feedback Mechanism allowed community members to raise questions, report concerns and provide suggestions throughout the project cycle.
Feedback received from communities contributed directly to improving implementation quality and strengthening trust between humanitarian actors and affected populations.
Institutional Capacity Strengthening
The project significantly strengthened SUAO’s organisational capacity.
Through implementation under DERF standards, SUAO further enhanced its experience in:
- Emergency preparedness
- Rapid needs assessments
- Humanitarian coordination
- Relief logistics
- Beneficiary registration
- Community engagement
- Protection mainstreaming
- Monitoring and evaluation
- Accountability systems
- Post-Distribution Monitoring
- Donor compliance
- Humanitarian reporting
These strengthened capacities continue to support SUAO’s emergency responses across Afghanistan.
Main Results
The project achieved the following results:
- Hundreds of earthquake-affected households received lifesaving emergency relief assistance.
- Families gained access to essential food, blankets, winter clothing, hygiene materials and household items.
- Immediate risks associated with winter exposure, illness and poor living conditions were significantly reduced.
- Vulnerable groups received priority support during registration and distribution.
- Community coordination strengthened transparency and local ownership.
- Beneficiaries reported improved safety, dignity and living conditions following assistance.
- Monitoring and Post-Distribution Monitoring provided evidence of effective humanitarian outcomes.
- SUAO strengthened its institutional capacity in emergency response, accountability and humanitarian programme management.
Humanitarian Impact
The intervention helped stabilise the lives of earthquake-affected families during one of the most challenging periods following the disaster.
Emergency assistance reduced immediate humanitarian risks while allowing families to focus on protecting their children, caring for vulnerable relatives and beginning the process of recovery.
The distribution of blankets, clothing and household items prevented further deterioration in living conditions during the harsh winter months.
The project also reduced protection risks by ensuring that vulnerable households received timely assistance through transparent and community-based processes.
For many families, the intervention represented more than material assistance—it restored hope, dignity and confidence during a period of profound uncertainty.
Partnership
The project demonstrates the effectiveness of locally led humanitarian action supported by international partnerships.
Saifrood Unity and Aid Organization led field implementation, emergency assessments, beneficiary registration, community coordination, relief distributions, monitoring and accountability.
Rebuild Aid Forening provided grant management, technical support, financial oversight and donor compliance.
The Danish Emergency Relief Fund (DERF) enabled the rapid mobilisation of humanitarian funding necessary to respond during the critical emergency period.
Together, the partnership combined international solidarity with local knowledge, allowing assistance to reach vulnerable communities quickly, efficiently and transparently.
Sustainability and Organisational Learning
Although designed as a rapid emergency response, the project generated important long-term benefits.
Families were able to begin recovery from a more stable situation, reducing the risk of further displacement and prolonged humanitarian dependence.
For SUAO, the intervention strengthened emergency preparedness systems, humanitarian coordination, monitoring methodologies and institutional capacity that continue to benefit future responses.
Lessons learned from the Herat earthquake operation have been integrated into SUAO’s emergency response procedures, contributing to improved preparedness for future natural disasters and humanitarian crises.
Key Lessons Learned
Rapid local response saves lives
Strong community networks and local presence enabled immediate assessments and timely assistance to reach the most vulnerable households.
Community engagement strengthens accountability
Working closely with village leaders and local communities improved beneficiary identification, transparency and trust.
Winter preparedness is critical
Early distribution of blankets, clothing and household items significantly reduced winter-related humanitarian risks.
Protection must be integrated from the beginning
Prioritising vulnerable groups throughout registration and distribution improved equitable access to assistance.
Monitoring strengthens humanitarian quality
MEAL and Post-Distribution Monitoring generated valuable evidence that improved accountability, learning and future programme design.
Conclusion
The Herat Earthquake Relief: Providing Urgent Aid to Victims project demonstrated how rapid, locally led humanitarian action can protect lives and restore dignity following a major natural disaster.
Through emergency assessments, targeted relief assistance, protection-sensitive programming, community engagement, comprehensive MEAL systems and strong accountability mechanisms, SUAO successfully supported earthquake-affected communities during one of the most difficult humanitarian emergencies in Herat Province’s recent history.
The project also strengthened SUAO’s long-term capacity as a national humanitarian organisation capable of delivering high-quality emergency responses that meet international standards while remaining deeply rooted in the communities it serves.