Engineers have begun building houses in the recent earthquake-stricken Zinda Jan district of western Herat province.

The initial plan is to build 2,146 modern houses in 20 affected villages in the province.

Maps for the houses have been finalized and are planned to be implemented soon.

“We hope that these houses will be ready by the time the harsh winter arrives, they will be returned to their houses and will be settled,” said Ahmadullah Muttaqi, director of Information and Culture of Herat.

Jan Aqa, who is living in tents in the camp built by the UNCR in Herat province, is one of thousands facing a similar destiny.

He has lost four members of his family due to the earthquakes and his wife is injured.

“The weather has got cold, and it is difficult to live in tents, we want houses, we cannot spend our lives in tents,” said Jan Aqa, a quake-affected citizen.

“It is not possible to live in winter in these tents, we ask for houses to be built for us,” said Negar, a quake-affected citizen.

The quake-affected people in Herat province say that the cold weather of winter will make it impossible for them to live in tents.

They ask for their houses to be built by the winter.

“The winter is approaching, all the people and children wandering and living in tents is not possible, we ask residences to be built soon,” said Abdul Satar, a quake-affected citizen.

“In winter, no one can tolerate the cold weather, we have lost everything of our houses, we had prepared clothes and blankets for winter but now they are under rubble,” said Maryam, a quake-affected citizen.

The recent earthquakes have destroyed tens of villages in Herat’s Zinda Jan, Enjeel, and Kesk Robat Sangi districts.

The quakes have also affected hundreds of houses in other parts of Herat province.