Trapped in winter’s grip: Displaced families yearn for the warmth of home in Afghanistan

Mohammad Najibi, a photographer for Islamic Relief based in Afghanistan’s Herat province, recounts a year spent witnessing the indomitable spirit of his fellow Afghans as they rise from the devastation of the earthquake in October 2023. As winter approaches, he shares stories of families facing the cold with little more than a tent to protect them from the elements.

Every click of my camera captures not just images, but also the raw emotions of families struggling to reclaim their lives amid the rubble. The tremors may have subsided, but the echoes of grief still linger. As winter approaches, I see those same resilient faces—filled with hope, yet shadowed by uncertainty—facing another harsh season with little more than their faith to survive.

As I draw closer to Shorabak village in the Injil district of Herat province, one of the areas hit hardest by the disaster, a striking contrast reveals itself. The serene beauty of the mountain trekking road, framed by a clear blue sky, soon gives way to a sprawling makeshift settlement that tells a different story. Tents, worn and weathered, pepper the landscape like the scattered memories of a once-thriving community.

It’s mid-October, and the few trees and shrubs are shedding their leaves, embracing the harsh winter. The air is filled with the smell of mud, mixed with dust that floats in the sunlight, creating shades of tan and brown.

In this challenging environment, families huddle together in their fragile shelters, their faces etched with worry. Young children cling to their parents, their laughter faint against the backdrop of uncertainty. Each passing day brings them closer to the brink, their provisions dwindling as hope flickers like a candle in the wind.

As the crisp autumn air settled around us, I sat down with 2 remarkable survivors to delve into their stories of resilience and preparation. Their eyes sparkled with the wisdom of experience as they shared how they braced themselves for the harsh months ahead. What got them through wasn’t stacking firewood, blankets or food; it was sheer faith.

‘I fear these harsh winter months without supplies will break us’

“For the second year in a row, we find ourselves huddled together, facing the winter in a tent,” says Zainab, a mother of 4 living in Shorabak village in Herat. “My husband can no longer work in the fields.”

“Winter is creeping in, just a month away, and already the chill bites through our thin walls,” the 60 year old says. “I look around the tent, scanning for anything that might shield my family from the bitter cold. I can’t find anything.”

Tears well up as she speaks of her eldest daughter, just 33, who has been paralysed for the last decade.

“I cannot leave her, unable to fend for herself, just when I desperately need to gather food for the others. I fear these harsh winter months without supplies will break us.”

I drove into another village to see how families were preparing for winter. The situation was even worse than I had anticipated. Due to the ongoing windy storm this time, few tents could withstand the elements near where their mud-brick homes once stood.

‘My children are woken by strong, cold wind shaking our tent at night’

“All my family belongings, including utensils and clothing, are trapped in my destroyed home,” Immamudin, 32, reflects sorrowfully. “For nearly a year now, I’ve been sharing this tent with my 3 young children and my pregnant wife. Soon, our 5 sheep will join us in this tent.”

He continues, his voice trembling, “The winter hasn’t even begun, but the nights are already biting cold, and I dread what’s to come. When it snows, I fear for my family’s safety.”

With a heavy heart, he adds, “I’ve had to set up our tent again and again as the strong winds relentlessly tear it down.

“We go to bed hungry most nights,” he admits, a look of despair crossing his face. “We rely entirely on the kindness of charitable organisations. It’s heartbreaking to watch my children suffer like this.”

At night, he finds himself huddling closer to his kids, whispering words of comfort as the cold wind rattles their temporary home. “I wrap my arms around them, trying to shield them from the chill. All I can do is ask for help—warm clothes and food—for my family’s survival.”

Immamudin’s daughter Fatima adds, “When the tents collapse on us, I wake up thinking it’s an earthquake. It is so frightening.”

‘I am pleading for your support to help my people endure the relentless grip of winter’

Zainab and Immamudin embody the heartbreaking reality many earthquake-displaced families face, struggling to survive an unforgiving winter. Their stories weigh heavy on my heart: resilient mothers and their children huddled together in a flimsy tent, their only shelter against the biting cold, with barely a few thin sleeping mats to cushion their weary bodies. The sight of their brave faces, alongside their sheep and goats, engaged in a daily fight for warmth, will forever haunt my memories.

In this remote village, nestled among towering mountains, the weather can shift in an instant. One moment, there’s a fragile semblance of safety in their canvas tents; the next, a howling storm robs families of that fleeting comfort. The chilling realisation of what lies ahead looms closer with each passing day. The snow will blanket their fragile world in just a month, turning it into a frozen prison. The ice won’t just settle on the ground; it will creep onto the roofs of their tents, amplifying their struggle and turning survival into an excruciating fight against the elements.

Against this harrowing backdrop, I am pleading for your support to help my people endure the relentless grip of winter.

Islamic Relief supports vulnerable families in Afghanistan and elsewhere each winter, providing food, blankets and fuel to help people face the cold months. Please help us to reach families in need this winter. Donate to our Winter Appeal now.