Abstract
Introduction/Importance: This study examines the impact of the 2023 earthquakes in the hardest-hit area, Herat Province, Afghanistan. Expanding upon existing ongoing research, this study used this unique opportunity as a naturalistic experiment examining community resiliency after disaster in Afghanistan.
Objectives of Study: The goal was to identify possible resiliency factors that assisted community responses to the earthquakes and aftershocks and the resulting disaster sequelae.
Background: Decades of conflict, poverty, and lack of infrastructure, along with oppressive Taliban restrictions, left many communities especially vulnerable to the disaster. A lack of an organized government response required the people to depend on their own community resources. Resilience factors were identified amid the impoverished destruction and Taliban-imposed restrictions.
Methods: Data collection relied on in-person surveys using purposeful and snowball sampling due to safety concerns. A mixed-methods approach integrated qualitative thematic analysis and quantitative background data.
Results: Findings highlight survival strategies and resilience mechanisms in affected communities, contributing to the understanding of crisis responses under oppressive conditions. Three factors appeared critical in our research on the relatively resilient communities post-earthquake in Afghanistan. First, the importance of the role of localized family and extended family groups was identified. Second, the role of the local religious leaders was especially helpful as a communication pathway, along with providing hope. Finally, a return to youth activities with the support of teachers and coaches was an important resiliency factor. This naturalistic study identified that even in devastated communities there were sources of strength that could be utilized for disaster recovery.