Oxfam gets vital food aid to Afghanistan

Posted: 21 September 2001

Oxfam today trucked in 1500 tons of food aid to people in beleaguered Afghanistan - probably the first new food that has gone into the country since the World Food Program stopped deliveries 10 days ago.

"This food is urgently needed - but in the face of the level of need this is a drop in the ocean. Three million people need the food aid pipeline restarted now," said Oxfam spokesman Alex Renton from Islamabad.

Two weeks ago, Oxfam contacts working in Mazar-I-Sharif said that homeless, hungry people would fare better in a single camp where food aid would be made available. 2,500 families took up the offer. Then the WFP had to close its operations.

"We had to make good our promise," said Renton. "The food will help sustain a few lucky people for a short time*. But, just as importantly, this shipment sends a message to the world that Afghanistan hasn't been totally shut off. Why is the world waiting? There is no need to wait. Aid can be got in now."

Oxfam paid $300,000 for a consignment of wheat on the Uzbekistan border last week, following pleas from local groups working in camps for displaced people in Mazar-I-Sharif, in northern Afghanistan. A businessman got the food in - the equivalent of 300 truckloads.

According to the UN, 500,000 people have fled their homes in the northern provinces because they have no food, they are scared of being the target of military action and they know that the coming winter will be lethal if they remain as they are. This pattern is being repeated all over Afghanistan. The UN estimates that 1.4m or more people are displaced within Afghanistan's borders and 3m haven't enough food.

Oxfam is calling for the resumption of food aid into Afghanistan and clarity from world leaders that civilians won't be targeted in any military action. Meanwhile, Oxfam has reports of systematic deportation of Afghani refugees, bussed back over the border by Pakistani authorities. At least 5000 have been sent back to Afghanistan within the last two days.

* 1500 tons of food would be enough, in very rough calculations, to feed 2,500 families over the winter (ie for 200 or so days). Generally, one person would receive half-a-kilo of food aid a day.