The United Nations has completed its "winterization" programme in two provinces of the southeast region benefiting 5,000 families in all.
The programme targeted nine districts in Paktya province, and four districts in Khost province. The beneficiaries were the extremely vulnerable individuals/families, vulnerable returnees, returned internally displaced persons and the poorest families among the local communities.
Before launching this programme, local non-government organisation Afghanistan Planning Agency (APA) conducted a general survey in November and December last year to select the beneficiaries.
The beneficiary selection committee comprised representatives from the Afghan National Disaster Management Authority, the Afghan Red Crescent Society, government departments, Provincial Council members and district authorities.
"On behalf of the Governor's office, I want to thank UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees), IOM (International Organization for Migration), GTZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft f=FCr Technische Zusammenarbeit or German Technical Cooperation) and other agencies that helped our poor people in these rainy days. I would also like to thank APA for conducting a survey with the government of Afghanistan and executing this programme," said Qazi Sahibzada Tariq, executive director of the Governor's office.
In all, UNHCR contributed 3,000 kits for 1,500 families in Paktya and 1,500 families in Khost. Each kit contained blankets, plastic sheets, shoes, socks and sweaters for the entire family, and 220 kilos of firewood.
The other actors involved in this programme were IOM and GTZ-DETA which, besides contributing non-food items, essentially funded the field level operations of the winterization programme.
IOM also contributed family kits for 500 families in Paktya and 1,000 families in Khost.
UNHCR has been distributing winterization assistance since 2002 in the southeastern region and keeps improving this programme to meet the needs of extremely vulnerable people.
By Dilawar Khan Dilawar, UNAMA