2014 Badakhshan Landslide Relief

Background

On the afternoon of May 2, 2014, following days of heavy rains, a devastating landslide buried the Aab Bareek village in the Argo District of Badakhshan Province. Compounding the tragedy, a secondary landslide composed of rocks and mud fell upon hundreds of volunteers from a nearby village who had rushed in to rescue those trapped. This catastrophic natural disaster claimed many lives, killed over 1,500 livestock, and displaced approximately 700 families. In the immediate aftermath, an estimated 4,000 survivors and evacuees were left in urgent need of food, water, medical support, and emergency shelter. Furthermore, the landslide blocked a local stream, creating a dangerous reservoir of trapped water that threatened downstream villages.

Our Fundraising and Relief Campaign

In response to this immense tragedy, we quickly organized a fundraising campaign to help the survivors recover from their overwhelming losses. We received an outpouring of support from our dedicated members, colleagues, private businesses, and charitable organizations, ultimately raising a total of $18,716.76.

After accounting for wire transfer fees, our Vice President transferred the remaining balance of $18,652.00 to the bank account of our sister organization in Afghanistan, the Society of Afghan Architects and Engineers (SAAE), on June 19, 2014. Our intention was for these funds to be utilized by the SAAE and the Afghanistan Engineers’ Association (AEA) to directly assist the victims and participate in the rebuilding of devastated homes, schools, and infrastructure.

Technical Mitigation and Strategic Reallocation of Funds

On the ground in Badakhshan, local engineers faced a severe technical challenge: the landslide had dammed the valley, leading to the accumulation of a massive volume of water upstream that threatened four downstream villages. Through the selfless efforts and professional collaboration of engineers from the SAAE and AEA, the water was safely discharged and the immediate downstream threat was neutralized.

At the same time, the immediate requirements for temporary shelter, food, and clothing for the Argu village victims were successfully met by various other Afghan and international humanitarian donors. To ensure our financial contribution would provide long-term physical or social improvements to the village, an SAAE engineering team conducted studies on five alternative rebuilding projects. However, due to the limited size of the available funds, combined with severe logistical and security constraints in the region, none of these specific rebuilding projects could be safely implemented at the time.

To ensure the integrity and impact of the donations, we suggested that the SAAE safely hold the remaining $18,622 in their bank account for a future, highly impactful humanitarian need. We upheld this commitment, and six years later, during the severe economic lockdowns of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, these exact funds were repurposed to distribute a one-month supply of essential food staples to 400 highly vulnerable families in Kabul.