Episcopal Relief and Development is providing emergency assistance to internally displaced families living in camps in the Baghlan province of Afghanistan, where heavy snows and frigid temperatures are the worst the region has seen in 30 years.  Official reports indicate as many as 750 people may have died as result of the extreme weather. 

Internally displaced people (IDPs)—primarily ethnic minority groups who have fled insecure areas of the country —are among those hardest hit by the severe conditions. Most live in tents or adobe houses without heat.  They have no source of income to purchase warm clothing, blankets, food or fuel.  Some have cattle, but cannot afford to buy fodder to sustain the animals through winter.  A large number of the IDPs are women, children, and the elderly.

“These families have already endured the trauma of leaving their homes for safety. It is critical to prevent them from being victimized again by the effects of the harsh weather conditions on their basic chances for survival,” says Julie Petrie, Episcopal Relief and Development’s Program Officer-Asia Region.

Episcopal Relief and Development is partnering with Hungarian Interchurch Aid through Action by Churches Together (ACT) International to distribute relief packages containing coal and blankets, along with insulation materials such as straw and foil.  Food items including oil, tea, sugar, salt, rice and beans are also provided.  Four-hundred of the most vulnerable families (over 3,200 individuals) living in four camps will receive relief packages. 

To help families affected by the severe winter weather in Afghanistan, please make a donation to Episcopal Relief and Development’s “Emergency Relief Fund” at http://www.er-d.org/, or call 1-800-334-7626, ext. 5129.  Gifts can be mailed to: Episcopal Relief and Development “Emergency Relief Fund,” PO Box 7058, Merrifield, VA  22116-7058.