New shelters to protect disaster affected households in Northeast Afghanistan

TALOQAN [ACTED News] - During the first six months of 2012, severe flooding, landslides, and earthquakes destroyed at least 4,126 houses in Takhar and Badakhshan provinces, in Northeast Afghanistan. This increased the vulnerability of thousands of families, already living in precarious conditions, which have no means of reliable shelter to protect them from the winter elements.

Following the results of a joint needs assessment, undertaken by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and ACTED, ACTED proposed a strategy to meet the urgent shelter needs for the most vulnerable 30% of affected families. ACTED has gained funding from the Office of U.S Foreign Disaster Assistance to construct 291 earthquake resistant shelters. These shelters will be constructed by beneficiaries who will receive training and will be provided with shelter materials.