Township inaugurated for Herat quake survivors

HERAT CITY (Pajhwok): A township comprised of 220 houses for earthquake survivors has been inaugurated in western Herat province.

The township, built at a cost of 200 million afghanis by the Azizi Foundation, was inaugurated in Zinda Jan district on Friday.

Azizi Foundation Director Mirwais Azizi said the township also had a school, a mosque, a recreation park and other facilities.

Besides Azizi, Herat Governor Maulana Noor Ahmad Islam Jar, local officials, quake-affected individuals and residents attended the opening ceremony.

Governor Islam Jar thanked national trader Mirwais Azizi and other businessmen for extending a helping hand to the affected families.

Azizi said the houses had been allotted to the quake-hit and deserving families. The foundation will try to find jobs for the affected people as well.

Local officials said each house in the township had two living rooms, a veranda, a kitchen and a bathroom.

Zinda Jan and Ghorian districts of Herat were struck by a devastating earthquake in October. killing about 2,500 people and wounding as many more.

Hundreds of other houses have also been built by various national and international institutions for the quake survivors, authorities say.

aw/mud