Govt doing little to assist us: landslide victims

KABUL (Pajhwok): Victims of Friday’s massive landslide in the Argo district of northeastern Badakhshan province on Tuesday complained they had been delivered insufficient aid despite the passage of five days.

But local officials claimed they had collected a large amount of aid, which would be distributed to deserving families after an investigation.

More than 2000 people are believed dead and thousands displaced as a result of the tragedy in Abi Barik village.   

The displaced families have accused the government of doing little to provide them with relief goods. One of them, Khoshal, told Pajhwok Afghan News: “I lost my wife and children to the disaster. We, I and four other surviving family members, have since been living in the open, but there is no one to address our problems.”

Khoshal said he lived with his surviving family members on a hilltop amid hard conditions. He said local and foreign aid agencies had promised assistance, but most of the affected families were yet to receive any.

Another displaced person, Abdul Karim, said his brother and all his children had died in the disaster. Karim added he had taken his family to a safer area, where they lived in a tent but they had received only a carpet and a blanket in aid so far.

He said they were distributed wheat and rice yesterday, but there was no grinding facility in the area.

Deputy Governor Gul Mohammad Baidar said they had collected a large amount of aid, which would be distributed to the victims after a probe.

Some food items, including cooked rice, were distributed to the affected families a day earlier and more aid would be distributed once a committee appointed in this regard organised them.

Meanwhile, the governor’s spokesman, Ahmad Naveed Frotan, said cash, food items and clothing had been received and stored in a warehouse.

He added the first and second vice-presidents, Mohammad Younus Qanuni and Mohammad Karim Khalili, who visited the area, had announced 40 million afghanis in aid to the committee for distribution to the affected families.

Balkh Governor Atta Mohammad Noor had contributed $20,000, presidential runner Dr Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai 600,000 afghanis, Dostum Foundation five million afghanis and 13 trucks loaded with food items to the families, he said.

Frotan added the Ministry of Defence had contributed 300 tents and 1,000 blankets, the Afghanistan and Livestock department of Badakhshan had sent 300 sacks of flour to the area.

The official said the World (IOM) had given 900 blankets, food packages and other items to 300 displaced families.

Agha Jan Foundation donated 500 tents, 100 blankets, 50 tarpaulin, 200 sacks of flour, 500 bottles of cooking oil and 100 sacks of rice, Afghan-Turk, UNHCR and NRC have also contributed to the donations.

A large amount of aid from Tajikistan and the UK had also reached the displaced families.

The Council of Ministers on Monday appointed two committees for the distribution and management of the aid collected for the affected families.

ma/mds

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