LASHKARGAH (PAN): A number of displaced families living in their temporary settlements near this southern city of Lashkargah have called for winter supplies to deal with extreme cold-weather conditions.

However, provincial officials said they had made essential supplies to 23,000 displaced families and would distribute aid to the remaining families soon. Most of the IDPs are from Nad Ali, Sangin, Babaji, Musa Qala and Nawa districts, where clashes between security forces and militants forced them to flee.

Baridad, 65, a resident of Babaji district, who lost his wife in an airstrike of NATO forces three months back, told Pajhwok Afghan News that he had been facing problems while living in a ruined house since he left the home town.

"My two brothers were wounded and I lost all household items as the air raid completely destroyed our house," he said. "The government and NATO soldiers have promised of compensation, but we received nothing as yet."

Tawoos, 32, living in a tent, said that his children were suffering from flue and other diseases due to the cold weather. He said he was a manual labour and used to visit the city on a daily basis in search of job. "I wait for clients in the main square with other people to find a job," said Tawoos, a resident of Sangin district, who fled his home five months ago due to clashes between Taliban insurgents and police. He said he was the solo earner of his 20-member family.

He appealed to Afghan government and international welfare organizations to provide them winter materials.

Several other IDP families complained that neither the government nor any other organization had so far helped them. But head of the repatriation department, on the other hand, said that they had conducted a survey to assess the problems facing the IDPs.

Haji Ghulam Farooq Noorzai said they distributed relief goods to the 23,000 IDP families during the ongoing year. "We have some materials enough for 6,000 families which will be distributed to them as soon as possible," he promised.

frm/ma