Announcement

USAID Helps Vulnerable Families Weather the Winter

Residents in 14 provinces receive blankets, coats, and stoves.

Kabul, Afghanistan  | Sunday, March 15, 2009

Photo: ISAF

Kit distribution in Kunar.

Winter in Afghanistan is long and harsh, and many families are unable to buy warm clothing and fuel to keep warm.  This winter, residents in Kunar and Khost, as well as 12 other provinces in southern and eastern Afghanistan, received essential supplies from USAID to help them survive the cold.  Each kit contained items such as blankets, coats, and stoves, which were distributed to families through a fair process monitored by local officials. 

The head of a large family in Khost expressed his relief to receive a winterization kit containing children’s sweaters, blankets, a gas cylinder, and a jerry can to store water.  “My occupation is farming, but I cannot earn enough to support a family of 12,” he said.   “My children were asking me for sweaters but I was not able to afford them.  Thanks to the Government of Afghanistan, I am sure that my children will feel warm this winter and not feel deprived.”  

In Kunar, where 1,000 kits were distributed in five remote districts, coordination with the local government was essential to transporting supplies to those most in need.  The overarching winterization initiative, conducted in cooperation with the Afghan Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development, district and provincial governments, and Provincial Reconstruction Teams, raises the legitimacy of local government by strengthening the delivery of services to constituents.