“I lost my whole life,” says a woman who lost her two grandchildren

“I lost my whole life,” says a woman who lost her two grandchildren after a powerful series of earthquakes hit a densely populated area in the Herat province.

People in the area have spent a second night sleeping amid the rubble and searching for their loved ones using shovels and their bare hands.

Afghanistan is already in the grip of a humanitarian crisis, with the widespread withdrawal of foreign aid after the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, which has had a severe impact on its healthcare system. The group also has fractious relations with international aid organisations after banning women from working for the UN and NGOs.