After the Earthquake: Community-Led Humanitarian Response and Environmental Peacebuilding in Kunar, Afghanistan

Sayeda Qader, The Kalaam Project NFP (United States)

Following a major earthquake in Kunar Province, Afghanistan, communities already affected by conflict faced compounded humanitarian and environmental challenges. Over four months, the Kalaam Project implemented a needs-based aid program, surveying men and women to identify urgent priorities and design locally informed interventions. In response, the team built earthquake-resistant homes and installed solar-powered water wells, addressing both immediate shelter needs and long-term access to clean water. Fieldwork revealed that environmental damage—housing destruction, water scarcity, and disrupted livelihoods—exacerbated social tensions and heightened vulnerabilities, particularly among women and marginalized households. This presentation situates disaster response within an environmental peacebuilding framework, showing how participatory, community-led approaches can mitigate conflict risks while supporting recovery. The Kalaam Project’s work has been recognized and included in research by the Disasters Emergency Management Authority Consortium (DEMAC), contributing practitioner insights to global discussions on resilient, conflict-sensitive humanitarian action.