Badghis residents irked by delayed, unorganized aid distribution

QALA-I-NAW (Pajhwok): Some residents in northwestern Badghis province have complained against the delay and mismanagement in aid distribution.

They demanded the distribution of aid to be conducted in an organized manner.

After the political change of August 15 2021 in Afghanistan, the humanitarian assistance of the international community was also halted, over $9 Billion assets of Afghanistan frozen by the US due to which the people of Afghanistan faced acute economic and humanitarian crisis.

Subsequently, the international humanitarian programme was launched to prevent human catastrophe. The assistance included the distribution of food, cash and other necessary equipment.

Some people receive aid package after one year

The earthquake hit people are happy to receive aid package after one year but they said the aid was not distributed on time.

The victims said, they were distributed both edible and cash aid packages but such packages could not respond to the needs of the earthquake victims.

Mohammad Arif, a resident of Muqur district of western Badghis province complained and said, his house was destroyed by earthquake but he received assistance after one year.

Arif told Pajhwok Afghan News, his house was destroyed due to the devastating earthquake last year. Due to economic hardship he could not rebuild his house until now.

Pointing to the aid packages distribution process, Arif said, though there are some more problems as well, this assistance was not distributed on time.

He had very hard time during the past year, he was staying in the houses of his relatives until now when the financial aid distribution series was launched, he said.

Arif urged the humanitarian organizations to deliver their aid packages on time.

Habibullah, a resident of Laman area in the limits of Qala-i-Naw is one of those victims of quake whose house was destroyed in earthquake, he was living since then in a tent in his neighbor’s house.

Habibullah has similar complaint about the late distribution process and said: “Such assistances are important, but they are not on time”.

Habibullah also urged the humanitarian organizations to provide their services on time to the needy people.

But Abdul Rahim, another resident of Badghis criticized for the method of aid distribution, he said: “The assistance packages are not distributed on time, it takes a long time when a survey is conducted until the aid arrives”.

Some of the needy people were registered three months ago, while they still wait to get their assistance, he said.

Ghulam Jailani, the resident of Qades district, said:  “I am 60, I registered my name several times at the offices of Natural Disaster Management Authority and Refugees and Returnees to get aid during the past one year, but I still wait to get some aid”.

He claimed, majority of the assistance packages are distributed to non-deserving families, the officials must monitor this process to prevent such corrupt practices.

He added: “It must take only one week to do the registration and distribute the aid because all the people are poor, including me, we face many economic problems”.

However, Sayed Ahmad Seyar, an analyst of economic affairs urged the government to be ready for the natural unexpected disastrous events and to provide the people assistance soon.

He urged the government to monitor the relevant governmental and other non-governmental aid providing organizations.

He said, the untimed aid distribution process and the lack of supervision pave the way for some social and economic problems and corruption.

But Maulavi Baridad, the acting director of Desaster Management Authority said that some people of the provincial capital of Badghis, Muqur and Qades districts were distributed cash assistance.

Baridad added 1,370 families were registered as deserving families and they were divided into three categories and were distributed cash assistance.

He said, those victims of the quake whose houses were damaged completed received 132,000 afs, those whose houses were partially damage received 43,200 afs and those whose houses were damaged a little got 26,400 afs assistance.

He added, the series of aid is not finished while over 1,000 more families will get some more assistance.

There were 3,000 victims registered of the earthquake of past year, they suffered both financial and vital losses, they were distributed both edible and non-edible aid, the total of 44 million afs cash aid was distributed to the victims of Badghis province, Baridad added.

While, Matiullah Muttaqi, the head of information and culture of Badghis, in response to the complaints of some residents said, the official attempt to distribute the assistance on time and they will keep their attempts on.

Aw/nh

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