IOM this week completed a distribution of stoves and fuel to some
750 nomad and internally displaced families in the western
provinces of Herat and Ghor.

The project, funded by the UN Central Emergency Response Fund
(CERF) and the Government of Greece, aims to help over 4,000
vulnerable families identified by the Afghan authorities
countrywide.

Based on individual needs, each family is provided with a supply
of up to three months of charcoal (294 kg) and/or a set of sandali
– a traditional low, wooden table covered by a quilt,
underneath which is a stove.

"I don't have money even to buy a pair of shoes for my children.
It is painful to see them run around barefoot in such a harsh
weather condition," said the father of a beneficiary Kuchi family.
The Kuchi are an Afghan nomadic tribe. 

The IOM-assisted families live in very poor shelters with
practically no protection from the cold and have almost no
resources. The price hike as a result of global food crisis has
made it more difficult for them to purchase basic survival items
this year.

Mohammadullah Azizy, who heads IOM's Herat sub-office, welcomes
the programme. "The items we are distributing will keep these
families warm and prevent various illnesses. An Afghan proverb says
that warmth is like gold in winter," he notes.

The project is also being implemented in Badghis, Balkh,
Badakhshan, Kunduz, Bamyan and Day Kundi provinces, in close
coordination with the Afghan government, NGOs, UNAMA and various UN
agencies including the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
and the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF).

IOM plans to complete its distribution in Badghis in the coming
days, despite deteriorating security.

For further information, please contact:

Katsui Kaya

Tel: +93 (0) 700 185 961

E-mail: "mailto:kkaya@iom.int">kkaya@iom.int

or

Mohammadullah Azizy

Tel: +93 (0)700 400 247

E-mail: "mailto:mazizy@iom.int">mazizy@iom.int