As Afghanistan rebuilds from earthquakes, new homes provide warmth, protection and hope

Since 2022, Afghanistan has been repeatedly struck by powerful earthquakes, causing loss of life, destruction of housing and large-scale displacement.

Families already living with scarce resources saw their homes collapse, forcing many to seek refuge in tents and makeshift structures which provided little protection from Afghanistan's brutal winters, where temperatures can fall to around -20°C.

Now, a shelter project from CARE International and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is helping families to rebuild their lives by meeting the most basic of needs - a safe and warm place to sleep at night.

Halima's story - rebuilding from rubble

Halima, a 35-year-old mother of seven, is one of those people supported through this project. In the middle of Bazaar-e-Gharbi in Herat city, she watches as the walls of her new house take shape where rubble once stood. A year and a half ago, she lost her husband to cancer. Then the 2023 earthquake took their home, forcing her and her children to squeeze into her brother-in-law's house and creating overcrowded, difficult conditions.

With a basic sewing machine and very limited income, Halima has long relied on small earnings and the help of others. "We also rely on the kindness of relatives and friends to meet our daily needs," she explains.

Halima was selected to take part in the project by a community shelter committee, who are part of the community and know which families are struggling most. The project provides cash so families can purchase materials and hire local labour as they see fit, leading their own rehabilitation process exactly as they need it.

Housing designed for today's needs and tomorrow's risks

What is being built for Halima is not a one-size-fits-all house dropped into the village. The design follows local building traditions, using the same mud brick and timber techniques that people in Herat know, trust and can maintain, but strengthened with simple earthquake-resistant details. Foundations are improved, walls are better fitted to the roof, and the structure is designed to withstand future tremors.

At the same time, the layout and openings are planned with Herat's climate in mind: it keeps rooms cooler in the summer heat, warmer in the winter, and easier to ventilate. The house fits the community and a changing climate - to help meet not just today's needs, but tomorrow's risks.

Looking to the future

Construction is now about 75% complete, and Halima is already planning where each child will sleep and where she will set up her sewing machine. The project has given her and her family hope and a new beginning. She tells us:

The impact of this new home will show in the quiet, everyday changes: children who can sleep without worrying about cracks in the ceiling, a mother who can focus on her work instead of wondering where they will stay next month, and a family that can live close to school, neighbours, and support networks.

Halima's family is one of around 900 households who are supported by CARE in Afghanistan with safer housing solutions, through a combination of new construction and retro-fitting of earthquake-damaged homes, as well as transitional shelters to move families out of tents. Each house rebuilt is more than a construction activity. It is a practical step towards safer and dignified living for families determined to rebuild their lives.