U.N., U.S. Help Afghans Prepare for Winter

November 20, 2001

In preparation for the harsh winter weather, the United Nations World Food Program has increased food deliveries into Afghanistan. At any given moment over the past few days, WFP had more than 2,000 trucks moving inside Afghanistan delivering food to various parts of the country, particularly rural areas, according to a White House "fact sheet." The U.S. Government has provided more than $237 million in aid to Afghanistan so far in fiscal 2002.

With U.S. support, WFP delivered over 30,000 metric tons of food into Afghanistan in the first half of November, exceeding records for food delivery into the country. The more than 29,000 metric tons that WFP moved in October had been the most food ever moved in an entire month in Afghanistan.

In the Central Highlands of Afghanistan, where snow fall is heavy, WFP has already moved 13,000 metric tons of food, which is almost half the amount needed to help the people of that region make it through the winter. The United States and other countries are working to move food and other relief items into the region from a variety of routes.

The U.S. airlifted 20,000 wool blankets, 100 rolls of plastic sheeting, 200 metric tons of high energy biscuits, and one metric ton of sugar to Turkmenistan for distribution in Afghanistan.

As of Nov.14, humanitarian relief commodities from the international community began to move into Afghanistan from Uzbekistan by barge. The first shipment contained 50 metric tons of wheat flour as well as nonfood relief commodities such as blankets and winter clothing. A second shipment of commodities, including 200 metric tons of wheat flour departed for Hairantan, Afghanistan on Nov. 15.

The United States purchased 15,000 metric tons of wheat in Kazakstan which is due to arrive by rail in Turkmenabad later this month. Thereafter, rail shipments should arrive in Turkmenabad on a daily basis, at the rate of 1,000-1,500 metric tons per day. The U.S. Department of Defense has air-dropped more than 1.5 million daily rations into Afghanistan. Each ration is enough to sustain a person, with a day's worth of calories.