UNHCR Herat Earthquakes Response ltpgtObjective: To provide family tents and psychosocial support (PSS) to vulnerable individuals affected by the October 2023 Herat earthquakes.ltbrgtImpact: To reduce the immediate suffering of earthquake-affected communities, safeguard lives, and enhance resilience during the challenging post-disaster period.ltbrgtUNHCR has been on the ground supporting the people of the Herat region since the devastating 6.3 magnitude earthquakes struck the province, in early October 2023.ltbrgtIt is estimated that 1.6 million people were affected with high intensity shaking (MMI 6+) and leaving at least 114,000 in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. Latest assessments show that the first two earthquakes on 7 and 11 October left 1,480 people dead and 1,950 wounded, with available satellite imagery indicating that 513 villages were impacted, and assessments ongoing. To date, nearly 43,400 people across six districts are reported to be directly affected by the recent earthquakes, with Injil and Zindajan districts worst affected. More than half of all earthquake-affected people are in Injil, with the majority of the more than 3,330 destroyed homes assessed to date located in Zindajan. Schools, health facilities, and other infrastructure also impacted by the earthquakes, with 21,300 buildings estimated to have sustained damage. Following the earthquakes, families are living in the open, in makeshift shelters, or in informal settlement sites, leaving them vulnerable to weather, health and other protection hazards.ltbrgtHumanitarian priorities include NFIs for communities who have lost everything as well as protection activities, notably PSS. The former is particularly urgent as temperatures at night have already dropped and will continue to drop as low as -20 degrees’ Celsius during the winter months. The latter is critical in light of the heightened trauma, fear and anxiety experienced by communities impacted by the earthquakes.ltbrgtUNHCR will respond to these needs with the distribution of family tents and the provision of PSS.ltbrgtltbrgtlt/pgtltpgt1,330 family tents will be distributed to 1,330 households (9,310 individuals). Of this, 15% 199 households with persons with disabilities will be targeted. Women headed households will be prioritized due to their vulnerability. ltbrgtUNHCR has been working with local partners, WASSA to provide PSS in Herat Province since 2022. Under the earthquake interventions targeting lt/pgtltpgt6,370 people (including 954 persons with disabilities), the additional funding will be used to:ltbrgt1.	Increase the number of counselors in affected areas to provide individual /group counseling to the most affected people, as per the third level of the IASC MHPSS pyramid. An ad hoc counseling center will be established in a tent or other.ltbrgt2.	Train in IASC PFA-approved curriculum for UNHCR humanitarian partners in contact with affected communities. This will ensure that humanitarian workers can provide initial psychological support to beneficiaries, identify those in need of additional assistance, and refer them to specialized services, in line with the first level of the IASC MHPSS pyramidltbrgt3.	Train community members to provide community-based MHPSS, facilitate community resilience recovery, and activate the community's role in providing PSS to the most vulnerable members. In line with IASC MHPSS pyramid, the second layer ltbrgt4.	Raise community awareness of MHPSS issues using messages approved by the MHPSS TWG and Protection ClusterltbrgtUNHCR will seek complementarity across its activities, providing family tents and PSS under this project proposal, alongside other assistance provided for within other funding streams such as Core Relief Items (CRIs) and winterization assistance.ltbrgtThe project integrates gender equality, protection of women, disability inclusion, protection principles, accountability to affected people (AAP) and age, gender and diversity (AGD) considerations to ensure inclusiveness, non-discrimination and adaptation to specific needs throughout implementation as cross-cutting issues.ltbrgtlt/pgt