This comes under a bilateral co-operation agreement to alleviate the suffering of the communities most affected by the recent humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, by improving the health and living conditions of 4,500 families, or 31,500 people, displaced by disasters and armed conflict in Kunar, Takhar and Zabul provinces.
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The project involves providing diverse relief aid at a total cost of $548,000, equally funded by the two parties, while QRCS is undertaking the entire execution jointly with the Afghan Red Crescent Society (ARCS).
The aid items are as follows:
1. Food parcels for 2,400 families, each containing 46kg of basic foodstuffs such as flour, rice, sunflower oil, tea, lentils and sugar.
2. Hygiene kits for 2,400 families conforming to the standards approved by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), such as soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, women’s supplies and baby diapers.
3. Basic emergency health supplies for 14,700 people, such as medications, medical consumables and equipment.
Until the date of writing this report, seven relief shipments have been deployed by air from Qatar to Afghanistan, totaling 105 tonnes of various foodstuffs and 18 tonnes of hygiene items, according to a QRCS statement. After that, 1,000 food parcels and 1,000 hygiene kits were distributed to
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1,000 poor families, or 7,000 people, in the Mezana, Sarkhogan and Arghandab districts of Zabul.
Signed by Ali bin Hassan al-Hammadi, secretary-general of QRCS, and Maha Barjas al-Barjas, secretary-general of KRCS, the project’s agreement involves co-operation in providing food, health and hygiene assistance for 4,500 families, or about 31,500 most vulnerable people, in inaccessible areas.
Al-Hammadi said, “One more time, we join hands with our brothers at KRCS to extend the wings of humanity to the poorest places worst hit by conflict and natural disasters. This time, we stand together for the people of Afghanistan, who have for years suffered displacement and lack of the slightest requirements of a decent life”.
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Al-Hammadi praised the quick response by the people of Qatar and Kuwait to help the Afghan people in their current plight. He described the co-operation between QRCS and KRCS as "a representation of the two governments’ and peoples’ support of humanitarian causes and advocacy of the rights of vulnerable people everywhere” and an “extension of their common mission under the umbrella of the seven Fundamental Principles”.
He promised to continue working to provide urgent relief aid in various parts of the country. Since 2014 when its operations initiated in Afghanistan, QRCS has provided QR36mn worth of aid, helping alleviate the suffering of thousands of families affected by crises and disasters.
These interventions included emergency response to storms, flooding, earthquakes and landslides; distribution of food parcels, shelter kits and heating items; rehabilitation of social care centres; support for education in remote areas; and drilling of surface and artesian wells.
Al-Barjas talked about the sympathy of the people of Kuwait with the Afghan people, as QRCS was proceeding with its humanitarian role and duty of helping the Afghans in distress and contributing to any relief effort by international partners and humanitarian organisations.
She added, “The unlimited humanitarian support given by Kuwait to the Afghan people, through KRCS, embodies the concept of humanitarianism in relieving those in need."
