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Rethinking shelter to respect local building culture and keep women safe: Lessons from Post-Earthquake Afghanistan

Around the world, disaster shelters are designed around standard definitions of a “house” and a “household”, but when humanitarian agencies fail to recognize locally-specific family structures and building traditions, the resulting shelters aren’t just ill-suited—they can introduce new safety concerns. In Afghanistan, the failure to fully realize the need for locally appropriate shelter layouts has come at a considerable cost, particularly to women.

2023 Herat Afghanistan Earthquake Preliminary Shelter and Housing Response

On Oct 8th, 2023, Miyamoto’s first assessment team was deployed to conduct a rapid assessment of the affected area. The earthquake affected 11 villages in the Zinda Jan district of Herat province. It is estimated that more than 100,000 people were exposed to high-ground intensity. The epicenter was about 40 kilometers northwest of Herat city and brought significant causalities in these villages.

Post-Earthquake Geotechnical Assessment for Earthquake – Impacted Areas and Technical Support to the Shelter Cluster and Partner Actors in Afghanistan

This Geotechnical Analysis Report has been developed to provide Shelter Cluster implementing partners with Miyamoto’s final findings on landslide and volcanic hazards within the earthquake-impacted areas of the Barmal and Gayan districts of Paktika Province, and the Spera district of Khost Province, particularly in the areas that experienced “moderate” and above shaking based on the Modified Mercalli Index (MMI). These findings are based on qualitative data analysis. Field surveys of eighty-five (85) pre-selected locations across the survey area were conducted. The locations were selected to complement Multi-Sector Rapid Assessment System (MSRAF) communities with assessment locations selected to provide a sample across the most earthquake-impacted areas.

2022 Afghanistan Earthquake Technical Assessment Report

On Oct 8th, 2023, Miyamoto’s first assessment team was deployed to conduct a rapid assessment of the affected area. The earthquake affected 11 villages in the Zinda Jan district of Herat province. It is estimated that more than 100,000 people were exposed to high-ground intensity. The epicenter was about 40 kilometers northwest of Herat city and brought significant causalities in these villages.