Kabul, Afghanistan - The Dutch Ambassador to Kabul H.E. Hans Blankenberg, signed a contribution agreement providing humanitarian assistance to the families recently affected by flooding in the Deh Rawood District of Uruzgan Province. The agreement was signed with the Secretary General of the Afghan Red Crescent Society Mr. Abdul Ghani Kazimy on 23 May 2007.
The Netherlands embassy will assist the Afghan Red Crescent Society to provide relief items including tents, blankets, kitchen sites, jerry cans and plastic sheets to the 680 families whose houses and livelihoods were destroyed by flooding late March of this year.
"I am glad we are able to assist our Afghan friends at this critical moment and thus contribute to assisting the Afghan population in difficult moments"said H.E. Hans Blankenberg at the signing ceremony of the agreement.
In an emergency response during the flooding in March, Dutch ISAF forces deployed in Uruzgan provided support through airlift; two Chinooks and two Cougars were used to evacuate Afghan citizens to pick up points established by the Afghan National Police (ANP) where they were provided shelter, food and medical assistance. During the operations late March, the Dutch ministers for Development Cooperation, Defense and Foreign Affairs visited the site and stressed their commitment for assistance.
The Netherlands is a member of the European Union (EU). The EU (European Commission and 27 member states) has disbursed collectively EUR 3,7 billion in aid to Afghanistan over five years (2002-2006), i.e. more than one third of the aid pledged by the international community. At the London Conference in January 2006, the EU pledged a further EUR 2 billion (about USD 2.4 billion) for reconstruction assistance to Afghanistan over the coming years.
For further information, please contact:
Royal Netherlands Embassy, Khaled Khan,
Press and information officer
Tel: 0797 000 202.
E-mail: khaled.khan@minbuza.nl
www.minbuza.nl/afghanistan-en