The Other Ground War in Northern Afghanistan: Humanitarian Aid vs. Brutal Winter

World Concern
Thursday, 18 October 2001

Seattle, WA – This week the Afghan Embassy in Tajikistan stated that almost two million people are at risk of starvation in the northern region alone. Due to this, a plea has gone out for World Concern to expand its relief work with families in the area.

World Concern Relief Director Kelly Miller, who traveled from Seattle to Tajikistan on Monday, said that few non-governmental organizations currently work in the area, though many are scrambling to get registered. He met yesterday with USAID, the United Nations World Food Programme and the US Embassy to share relief strategies and request government support of World Concern's food distribution program.

Still, government aid won't be enough to meet the need. Individual donors fund the majority of World Concern's work, and cash donations for food are needed immediately. "Right now we are in a race to get enough food and supplies to families before winter shuts down access to villages," stated Miller. "Millions of lives are at risk, especially among women, children and the elderly."

World Concern's main partner in the region is the Central Asian Development Agency (CADA), who has been registered to work there since 1993. World Concern joined CADA in 1998 and since has shipped and helped distribute millions of dollars worth of clothing, medical supplies, food and blankets. Food for the Hungry and Northwest Medical Teams are also partnering with World Concern and are with Miller in Tajikistan.

The team hopes to travel into northern Afghanistan this weekend, but helicopter flights are difficult to schedule due to huge dust storms caused by the drought. "The dust is everywhere," Miller said, "inside the buildings… even inside my clothes."

For more information, or to contact World Concern, see their website at: www.worldconcern.org