UNHCR begins airlifting emergency aid to Kabul

The first of three United Nations airlifts carrying lifesaving winter survival kits landed in Kabul on Tuesday amid a fast escalating humanitarian crisis.

In a tweet, the UNHCR said: “We’re scaling up response to provide timely assistance to help displaced and vulnerable people keep safe and warm ahead of the harsh winter.”

The UNHCR also said in a statement that 33 tons of emergency humanitarian assistance for displaced and vulnerable Afghans was unloaded in Kabul on Tuesday,

UNHCR spokesperson Shabia Mantoo said the UNHCR-chartered plane took off from Sharjah in the UAE on Tuesday and arrived in Kabul at 3.30pm local time.

This was the first of three flights scheduled to deliver aid this week.

“Humanitarian needs are rising rapidly in Afghanistan ahead of winter, when temperatures can dip to -25⁰C. Many displaced families lack proper shelter while some of those who have recently returned to their places of origin have found their homes unfit for the cold season,” said Mantoo.

“Weighing 25kg, each winterization kit contains flooring, partitions, and other items to improve tent insulation against the cold. The kits also provide heat resistant protection to enable the installation of a stove,” she said.

Conflict and insecurity have displaced 3.5 million Afghans inside the country, including some 700,000 forced from their homes so far this year.

UNHCR is rushing to provide winter assistance to some 500,000 displaced Afghans, returnees and local host communities by the end of 2021.

The UNHCR said it also continues to distribute other much needed humanitarian assistance to displaced Afghans including emergency shelter kits, food rations, blankets, kitchen sets, stoves, solar panels, solar lanterns, and cash for the most vulnerable.

“We are using land, sea and air routes to bring humanitarian relief into Afghanistan and other countries in the region so we can respond to the increasing needs. Further relief supplies have also been prepositioned in Termez, Uzbekistan, ready to be trucked into Afghanistan as needed,” said Mantoo.

“As we continue to scale up our humanitarian response, more resources are urgently needed to reach all those who will need help to survive the harsh winter ahead,” she said.

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