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Date: February 15, 2002 
People in the Hazar Bogh region of northern Afghanistan have been suffering from a four-year drought. Their suffering has been compounded by the war between the Taliban and the Northern Alliance. But the Taliban is gone now, much to their relief. Their hope is that when the rains return so will their former way of life, and they will once again be able to grow food and tend livestock. In spite of the drought, a small river runs through the village of Qanchoga in Hazar Bogh, and there is a little green grass on either side. But if you look away from the river in any direction the land is barren and gray, and the parched ground is lined with cracks.
Hazar Bogh was used as a front line between the Taliban and the Northern Alliance. Both sides contributed to the destruction. People's homes have been all but destroyed. Many of the walls still stand, but they are mere shells. The roofs and supports are gone, the wooden frames for the doors and windows have been torn out, and all their belongings looted. [Click here for more photos of destroyed buildings.]
UMCOR and Mercy Corps have teamed together to provide the people of Hazar Bogh with shelter kits and household items. Getting these much needed supplies to this region of northern Afghanistan was a complicated, circuitous process. The supplies were ordered from Pakistan, and because of the war had to be trucked from Pakistan through Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and finally across the Pyanj river into Afghanistan. Getting goods and people into and out of Tajikistan took weeks of negotiation. When the supplies and relief workers finally arrived in Taloqan, Afghanistan, they still had a 40 kilometer drive ahead of them, over a dirt road full of deep holes. It took hours to negotiate those 40 kilometers.
The people of Qanchoga were expecting the arrival of their shelter kits and were waiting with their coupons in hand. When they did their assessment a few weeks ago, Mercy Corps staff had given each family a coupon that listed the family's name and the items they would receive. A typical shelter kit is designed for a family of six or seven and contains a winter tent, six blankets, three sleeping pads, three mattresses, three pillows, and a stove. The household set had not yet arrived and would be distributed later. They will include basic cooking supplies, plates, cups, utensils, water storage containers, and wash basins.
The UMCOR/Mercy Corps crew worked with men of the village to unload the supplies, then demonstrated how to set up the tents and stoves. Afterwards, the village elders hosted them to a dinner of rice with lamb.
The children of Hazar Bogh greeted these strangers with curious smiles and laughter. Young girls carried their little brothers and sisters, and boys and girls alike ran, played, and laughed continuously in the midst of hardship. The people of this region are ethnic Uzbeks, proud, yet appreciative of the assistance they are receiving. This immediate relief will help them survive the winter. Ongoing assistance will help them begin again after years of drought and war.
UMCOR 9/11 Update September 2004: UMCOR's response to the aftermath of September 11 continues. We thank are thankful for all of contributions that United Methodists and others have so generously given.
See AlsoPhoto credits: Except for the top right photo by UMCOR/Tajikistan staff all photos (Afghanistan, Jan.-Feb. 2002) were taken by David Sadoo, UMCOR. Click on any photo to see a larger version.
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