UNITED NATIONS IN AFGHANISTAN RECEIVES AID FROM KAZAKHSTAN AS HUMANITARIAN NEEDS ACROSS THE COUNTRY REMAIN EXTREMELY SEVERE
31 August 2022
Kabul/Termez: Today, the United Nations in Afghanistan welcomed a contribution of in-kind emergency assistance from the Government of Kazakhstan at the Termez Regional Humanitarian Logistics Hub. The donation, which will be used to support humanitarian efforts across the country, included 200 tents and as many tarpaulins; 2,000 beds, mattresses, sheets and blankets; 2,000 jackets and trousers; and 2,000 sets of bowls, cups and cutlery. Kazakhstan also donated 60,000 litres of vegetable oil, and nearly 20 metric tons of rice and condensed milk.
“The donation is intended to support the United Nation’s humanitarian response to Afghan families struck by the devastating earthquake in June, the current flash floods that have engulfed a third of the country, and other acute and emerging needs,” said Mr. Bakhtiyar Sarsenbay, Chargé d’Affaires of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Afghanistan during the handover ceremony in Termez. “Kazakhstan is committed to assist humanitarian efforts in the region and always works to support people in countries facing difficult circumstances, like in Afghanistan.”
More than 24 million people are in need of some form of life-saving humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan due to the consequences of decades of conflict, recurrent environmental shocks, lack of recovery from past disasters, and the political upheaval of a year ago which has contributed to a severe economic crisis.
“The past year was incredibly difficult for the people of Afghanistan, particularly for women and girls who are disproportionally affected. Humanitarian needs have reached unprecedented levels with more than half the population requiring assistance to survive,” said Dr. Ramiz Alakbarov, the UN Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Humanitarian Coordinator for Afghanistan.
“The United Nations is committed to assisting the people of Afghanistan and is extremely grateful to regional countries like Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan for their generous support. These supplies received today from the people of Kazakhstan to the people of Afghanistan are invaluable for us to quickly respond to a variety of humanitarian needs,” he added. “We are grateful to the Government of Uzbekistan for providing consistent support through humanitarian hub in Termez and facilitating a steady flow of assistance across its border. This demonstration of solidarity across the region is a beacon of hope in these trying times for Afghanistan.”
The emergency shelter and household items will go to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) for urgently needed efforts to prepare for winter, including in the three earthquake affected provinces where people still live in makeshift shelters. The food will go to the UN World Food Programme (WFP) for distribution in emergency hotspots, including the earthquake and flood-affected provinces.
The donation by Kazakhstan was handed over to the United Nations in Termez, Uzbekistan, at the International Multifunctional Transport-Logistics Hub, established end of last year with strong support from the Government of Uzbekistan. Since then, the hub has played a critical component in facilitating the movement of humanitarian supplies into Afghanistan for the humanitarian response.
………
Follow us on Twitter @unafghanistan @RamizAlakbarov
For more information please contact: Silke von Brockhausen, Head of RC Office (Brockhausen@un.org)
UN entities involved in this initiative
Goals we are supporting through this initiative
