Herat: Lack of transparency alleged in aid distribution

HERAT CITY (Pajhwok): A number of poverty-stricken residents of western Herat province, who have not received aid for months, complain of transparency in the distribution of assistance.

Mir Ahmad Usmani, one of resourceless residents, told Pajhwok Afghan News he had been unable to get aid over the past six months despite being identified as a deserving person.

He claimed his neighbours had received aid several times. He visited aid agencies’ offices but could not draw a satisfactory response.

Naghma, 43, is another resident who has not been helped, alleged lack of transparency in aid distribution by officials and organisations.

Mohammad Usmani, hailing from Herat City, told Pajhwok he had been given aid only once since he was issued an eligibility ticket.

He urged the government and NGOs to help resolve his economic problems permanently.

But Maulvi Sayed Habib Rahman Rouhani, in charge of the survey team and coordination with aid agencies, insisted the distribution process was transparent.

He said the survey of deserving people and distribution of aid to needy families had been carried out under the supervision of a joint delegation.

The team includes representatives from the governor’s office, and departments of rural rehabilitation and development, natural disaster management and refuge and repatriation affairs.

Rouhani explained aid was distributed in Herat under the supervision of representatives from the four departments and humanitarian aid flows continued as usual.

About the poor economic situation of the people, the UN said in a recent report that half of Afghanistan’s population did not have access to basic food.

Meanwhile, the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Afghanistan said it was impossible to control the crisis without complete coordination among members of the international community.

sa/mud