ICRC provides emergency food distribution to displaced Afghans

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) provides emergency food distribution to Afghan communities displaced by conflict or natural disaster in close cooperation with the Afghan Red Crescent. This remains one of the ICRC’s major activities in Afghanistan. The service comprises emergency food distribution, 'food-for-work' projects and support for agriculture and livestock programs, a press release issued by the ICRC said. During July and August, ICRC staff, together with Afghan Red Crescent staff and volunteers distributed nearly 360 tons of food to over 2,000 participants in food-for-work projects, distributed one-month food rations and household essentials to over 20,000 people displaced by the conflict or floods, trained farmers in basic veterinary skills, and vaccinated and treated over 83,000 animals in the south in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture, helped hundreds of people, including many women, in the north to vaccinate their poultry. Improving water and sanitation services ICRC water engineers are working closely with local water boards on urban and rural projects. The organization promotes hygiene awareness in religious schools and detention centres, and with families in their homes. During July and August, the ICRC installed pipelines and drilled wells as part of an effort to bring clean water to nearly 112,000 people in Kabul, Kandahar, and Kunduz. Reminding parties to a conflict of their obligation to protect civilians is a fundamental part of the ICRC's efforts to promote compliance with international humanitarian law worldwide. The organization also spreads knowledge of international humanitarian law within civil society, government bodies and the armed forces. Afghanistan is the ICRC's biggest operation in terms of committed resources. The organization has nearly 1,600 national staff and 140 expatriates based in its main delegation in Kabul and in five sub-delegations and 10 offices countrywide.