“Winter tightens its grip on Afghanistan, but nowhere is its bite felt more than in Herat”

The UN reported that 473,000 people in Afghanistan are in desperate need of assistance during the winter season, and, here in Herat, the winter poses even more serious to vulnerable communities.

The earthquakes shattered 30,000 homes across nine districts, leaving over 275,000 people facing a winter without walls. Women, children, the elderly and disabled people need special help to stay safe.

For families like Fatima’s, the winter brings a choice between warmth and food. It’s a physical struggle, and a mental struggle, too.

“The earthquake worsened the mental health issues Afghan women were already facing,” Dr. Khatera Azami, a Field Supervisor with CARE in Herat says. “The ongoing trauma and loss continue to haunt many.”

The community faces a severe shortage of essential amenities such as baths, latrines, and shelters, which makes life particularly difficult. This situation is even more challenging for women and girls, who confront safety issues on a daily basis.

“Winter tightens its grip on Afghanistan, but nowhere is its bite felt more profoundly than in Herat,” says Reshma Azmi, CARE Afghanistan Deputy Director.

“Last year’s brutal winter forced many families into impossible choices between debt, food, or warmth. This year, the stakes are even higher. With plummeting temperatures, the need for critical winterization assistance is paramount—warm clothes, sturdy shelters, and heating supplies are essential to prevent hardship from turning into despair.”

CARE is delivering critical winterization assistance; winter clothes kits, blankets, and cash for heating, cash for rent and cash for food, prioritizing the most vulnerable – families led by women or children, those with disabilities, and all facing the harshest conditions in Herat.

*To safeguard the privacy of the interviewee, the name has been altered.