‘Aid distribution in Takhar selective, unjust’

TALOQAN (Pajhwok): Some vulnerable families in northern Takhar province have complained that no aid providing agency had reached to them for support and assistance.

Meanwhile, local officials in Takhar said individuals committing fraud and embezzlement during aid distribution would be dealt according to the law.

Shabana, the only bread earner of her six-member family in Taloqan, said: “My husband migrated to Iran after regime change. He still did not send money and even did not provide the amount to the agent who arranged his trip to Tehran.”

She said: “We often referred to aid providing agencies for support but they responded with different pretext and never helped us.”

She live in a courtyard in a corner of Taloqan city complained against the distribution of aid and said: “I have five children who often sleep empty stomach most of the nights and despite a lot of effort I was unable to get aid.”

Zahra, is another lady who has to earn food for her family, she hailed from Taloqan City and had to carry hard labour from morning to night to earn something for her children.

She said as a result of the past conflict she migrated from Badakhshan and currently lived in a rent house in Taloqan City.

“I have a four-member family and received no aid so far,” she said.

She claimed foreign aid was distributed among well-off families and among influential persons. Poor families had been ignored she added.

Zahra said: “Over the past one year I have not been able to get aid from any organization.”

Niamatullah is another resident from Taloqan who travelled to Iran two times after regime change.

He has to feed a 12-member family, including an old father who remained ill most of the time.

“My father is not well, I have returned from Iran two times, besides massive aid coming in the country we received nothing,” he said.

He complained the aid distribution process was unjust, and instead of needy people well-off persons received the aid.

He claimed that he often visited aid providing institutions but his plea was rejected.

He added: “There are tens of other families like me who received no aid. Why this aid is not distributed to vulnerable persons.”

Fatimah is another lady living in the corner of Taloqan City who decided to beg due to her worse economic condition.

She said up to evening she is begging and collected from 100 to 150 afs to compensate her needs.

In this harsh winter she decided to beg because she complained against the aid distribution process and said: “We daily witness the distribution of aid to thousands of people but I was never provided with aid.”

Mawhidullah Hameed, programme director of the Rural Rehabilitation Depatment, said during he ongoing year 117,000 vulnerable families distributed aid items and this process was still underway.

He said heads of the local councils were responsible for identifying vulnerable families. A survey team from Rural Rehabilitation Department and relevant Associations check the list provided by the council’s heads.

Referring to the claim of some people that the aid distribution process was not fair, he said efforts were on to prevent council’s heads from fraud and embezzlement.

Abdullah, a civil society activist, said if justice and fairness is ensured in the aid distribution process no vulnerable family in Takhar would remain empty hand and all will be able to get aid.

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