UN delivering winterization aid in Afghanistan

UNITED NATIONS: The UN and its partners are distributing winter clothing, heating, fuel and rent support to tens of thousands of people in Afghanistan, UN humanitarians said.

"Previous-year trends indicate that in November, cases of hypothermia, acute respiratory infections and death directly and indirectly associated with cold start to increase," the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Tuesday.

The world organisation and partners reported that 23,800 people received winterisation assistance across 32 of Afghanistan's 34 provinces between September 1 and November 15. The recipients got heating/fuel assistance and winter clothing through cash modalities and in-kind blanket distribution as temperatures at some places plunged below freezing, Xinhua news agency reported.

By Monday, the UN completed distributing winterisation assistance to 32,200 people in Kunar, Nangarhar and Nuristan provinces, OCHA said. In addition, humanitarian partners are responding with aid.

The world body began distributing winterisation cash assistance on Monday in Jawzjan Province to cover 1,750 people, OCHA said. The programme focuses on internally displaced and drought-affected people, returnees, vulnerable host communities, female- and child-headed households, the elderly and people with disabilities.

The 2021 Afghanistan Flash Appeal has reached 112 per cent or 677 million US dollars. The different Humanitarian Response Plan is 84 per cent funded at $729 million.

"Humanitarians are grateful for the generous contribution by the donor community," the office said. Some financial commitments have not been translated into action on the ground due to financial system challenges amid Afghanistan's cash and liquidity crisis. (IANS)

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