At night, temperatures drop below freezing. But Abdul Raof's house in the village of Chin Kalaqh is now just a ruin. His family doesn't dare sleep there because it threatens to collapse at any moment. "We live in tents," he laments. "It's very cold there. We also don't have enough water and no school for our children. They are taught in a tent."

The village of Chin Kalaqh is located in the Zinda Jan district near the city of Herat. It is one of ten villages supported by us and our Afghan partner organization MPWO (Move against Poverty of Women Organization). 900 families with approximately 3,300 children are receiving assistance to help them survive the winter following the devastating earthquake

 

• Food parcels containing 50 kilos of flour, ten kilos of rice, five kilos of beans, five liters of cooking oil and salt are being sent to 300 families.
• Another 300 families will be provided with kitchen utensils, such as a small gas cylinder, a stove, and a 20-liter plastic barrel for storing water. Many families' belongings are buried under the rubble.
• 300 families will receive winter packages containing two blankets, two mattresses and a tarpaulin that will at least protect them somewhat from the cold.

 

"The need is immense," says Chris Hartmann, humanitarian aid officer at Terre des Hommes . "Many children have lost relatives in the earthquake, are malnourished, and are getting sick from the cold."

To prevent envy and conflict, project staff decide together with community members who receives the aid packages. Chris Hartmann: "Priority is given to families in emergency shelters, female-headed households, families with young children, elderly people, and people with disabilities."