Thousands of people in the western Afghan provinces of Heart and Ghor are in need of food, heating fuel, and medical attention, after a winter emergency has inundated the region with several feet of snow and freezing temperatures for the past two weeks.  It is reported that at least 70 people and thousands of livestock have died in Heart province, where food distribution has been delayed by severe weather and security conditions.  People living in poor rural areas are most affected.
            This winter emergency follows a season of poor crop yields in Ghor which, according to a recent assessment, is likely to result in an estimated 230,000 people in need of 11,700 metric tons of food this winter and spring.
            CRS Response:  CRS Afghanistan has sent out emergency relief teams of engineers, hygiene promoters and field officers to access the needs in the districts surround Herat and Ghor.
            CRS has already been implementing a winterization program funded by the Lithuanian government for vulnerable rural families, preparing communities to meet their basic needs for survival in heavy winter conditions.  CRS has committed another $50,00 of private funds to emergency and plans to seek    additional funding for a large-scale response.
            CRS has provided heaters and fuel to transit centers for Afghans who have been deported from Iran.  The first three CRS district teams have started clearing roads in Adraskan, Koshk and Kohsan, with over 1000 workers mobilized.  They have already cleared several kilometers and access villages and plans are underway for greatly expanded work in both Heart and Ghor.
            Because of dwindling supplies and blocked access to local markets due to extreme weather conditions, CRS will also be implementing Food for Work activities.
            From the Field: “Access right now is severely limited in most areas of Ghor.  The main passes are closed, with government-supported teams trying to get them open.  Implementing additional cash for work projects along secondary roads will provide quick cash to villages, while clearing the roads will enable greater access to people in need,” said Nancy Hearne, CRS program coordinator in Ghor.
            “The rising cost of wheat is going to hit the poor very hard.  Therefore, food for work, and food assistance to the very poor, is what is needed urgently,” said Paul Hicks, CRS Afghanistan country representative.
            Background: CRS has worked in Afghanistan since 2001.  With offices in Afghanistan’s capital of Kabul, western provinces of Herat and Ghor, and a new office in Bamiyan, CRS programs focus on long-term development projects, reaching some of the poorest and most rural populations, and helping communities strengthen their means for self-sufficiency and an overall improved quality of life.
            CRS field emergency teams are trained in emergency preparedness, especially for winter conditions, and the agency is collaborating closely with local leadership and government ministries to maximize the support available across the area.  CRS teams are also equipped with first-aid kits, medicine, fuel, heaters, food, water supplies and transportation so they can work in the harsh conditions and make up for the dwindling supplies in local markets.
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