Announcement

Rural Afghans Receive Assistance to Endure the Harsh Winter

USAID and the Afghan Government will deliver more than 14,000 winter relief kits in 13 provinces.

Kabul, Afghanistan  | Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Photo: USAID/Afghanistan

Preparing winter relief kits.

This year, Afghanistan has suffered from skyrocketing food prices, drought, and continued poverty. As another bitterly-cold winter approaches, USAID is committed to helping the people of Afghanistan overcome these difficulties.

This month, USAID worked with Afghanistan’s Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development to fund a winter relief program in the south and east of the country.  The Afghan government will deliver more than 14,000 kits to thirteen different provinces, providing relief to Afghanistan’s most vulnerable groups, including the elderly, widows and the disabled.  The kits contain items essential to winter survival, such as emergency shelters, clothing and blankets, and heating materials.  Upon receiving the goods, local government officials will distribute them in their provinces, demonstrating their commitment to respond to the urgent needs of their communities.  Most importantly, these emergency relief materials will save lives and prevent sickness as the nation works to recover from a history of war and an ongoing insurgency.