| The important thing here is that Kabul is acting so much like a normal government. Does my heart good... |
Afghan authorities sent relief goods to the areas hit by devastating floods yesterday. US military helicopters airlifted stranded families to safety and aid agencies distributed vital food, officials said yesterday. Torrents of snowmelt and fierce rains caused rivers to burst their banks in many parts of the poverty-stricken country, washing away mosques and livestock and leaving thousands of people homeless. The helicopters also brought water, blankets, shovels and pick axes to a makeshift relief camp set up near the river. "After the supplies got on the ground, the US forces took a step back," Capt. John Williams said, adding that the district chief and the provincial governor had then taken charge.
The Afghan Interior Ministry also reported widespread damage in northern Balkh, Jawzjan and Panjshir provinces, eastern Laghman and southern Nimroz. In western Afghanistan, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the World Food Program have been shipping supplies from the main city of Herat out to the worst affected parts of Farah. |