United Nations High Commission for Refugees’ ‘housing and shelter’ project for the earthquake-affected villages in Afghanistan’s southern Khost and Paktika provinces is in its final stages.
The newly-built, well-insulated houses equipped with Bukhari heaters, expansive windows, strong doors, and solar energy will provide enduring shelter for some 7,000 people following June’s devastating earthquake that ravaged Afghanistan’s long-neglected southeast region, the UNHCR said in a tweet.
According to the UNHCR, UN Refugee Agency, some US$14 million has been allocated for the community-based construction efforts to build some 2,300 earthquake-resilient houses in Southern Khost and Paktika provinces devastated by the deadly June 22, earthquake.
“This initiative demonstrates UNHCR’s sustained solidarity and support to people affected by the disaster — in the coming months 2,300 families will have new, resilient, winterized homes,” said UNHCR Representative Leonard Zulu during an assessment mission in Barmal, Paktika Province.
Recently, the UNHCR teams have met with communities, and intensified the construction work of the so-called shelter initiative to finalize the winterized houses which soon be handed over to local residents in Khost and Paktika province, before the cold winter reaches them.
Over the past years, natural disasters such as drought, floods, landslides, and earthquakes, have harshly affected villages across the country. Hundreds of people lost their crops, livestock, and even their near and dear ones, and faced displacement with no provision to continue a normal life.
Meanwhile, the initiation of similar housing schemes funded by the UNHRC, United Nations Development Programme, NGOs, governments and other organizations is of paramount importance to help ordinary people resettle and continue their lives, amid these challenging times.
