Winter aid Bamiyan 2015

Bamiyan, Afghanistan

Project start: 2015

Completed

Target achieved:

4.502 €

Winters in Afghanistan are freezing cold. In addition to life-threatening temperatures and heavy snowfall, people here also have to cope with food shortages due to drought. According to the UNHCR (2017/12), 2.6 million internally displaced persons find themselves in such a degrading situation.

Displaced or fleeing from conflicts or drought in their own country, they usually have no choice but to fight for survival in refugee camps in their thousands. They have to suffer from the cold and sleep in tents at temperatures as low as -15 degrees Celsius, often without blankets or warm clothing, and the lack of job opportunities means that people can hardly find a way out of poverty. The wages for occasional work as a day laborer are simply not enough to feed their own families.

Initial situation

Bamiyan, a province of Afghanistan with around 410,000 inhabitants, is located in the center of the country and is the cultural center of the Hazara ethnic group. The city of Bamiyan is famous for its once undamaged rock-carved Buddha statues. Winter in Bamiyan is very long and cold. Many people live in the mountain caves of Bamiyan despite temperatures averaging minus 20 degrees. In addition, people have to contend with heavy snowfall, which makes everyday life more difficult in the cold season. As there is little agricultural land in Bamiyan, poverty is very high there. The aim of the campaign was to support families who spend the winter in the mountain caves of Bamiyan.

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PROBLEM AND SOLUTION

The campaign was carried out on site under the direction of an honorary member who is very well connected in Bamiyan. Specifically, the help consisted of distributing a warm winter jacket, a sweater and a pair of shoes for each family member. One package supplies a family of five and costs around €100. The warm and hard-wearing utensils can be reused year after year, making them an effective and long-lasting aid. The needs of each family (correct clothing and shoe sizes) were first recorded in Bamiyan. The clothes were then purchased in Kabul due to their better quality and cheaper prices and brought safely to Bamiyan. They were then distributed to the families. With 45 clothing packages totaling €4,500, 45 families were helped.