Balkh disables hold protest meeting outside UNAMA office

MAZAR-I-SHARIF (Pajhwok): Dozens of disabled people on Thursday held a protest meeting in front of the UNAMA office in Mazar-i-Sharif, the capital of northern Balkh province, calling for transparency in distribution of international aid.

They chanted slogans of right, justice and transparency and asked aid giving agencies, particularly the World Food Program (WFP), not to ignore the disabled people.

The protest meeting lasted for one year.

Sayed Mohammad Yazdan Parast, one of the organizers of the protest, said the WFP had and was assisting many deserving people in Afghanistan, but it was yet to help the physically-challenged persons.

He described the disabled people as the most needy and urged aid societies to help them and make the sure the aid distribution process was transparent.

Yazdan Parast warned that if their demands were not answered within one month, they would erect tents outside the UNAMA office.

Balkh Women’s Disabled Association head Mursal Maskeenyar told Pajhwok their protest was aimed at raising the voice of disabled people.

Aneel Akbari, head of the deaf community in Balkh, also said disabled people had so far not received aid from the WFP. He urged the UNAMA office to bring about transparency in the aid distribution process.

The protestors also issued a resolution, in which they asked international organizations to respond positively to their demands s.

UNAMA and WFP offices in Mazar-i-Sharif declined to comment about the protest.

However, Balkh Martyrs and Disabled Affairs Director Mawlavi Jan Mohammad Hikmat supported the protest of the disabled people and said international organizations should help them.

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