Some 2,000 Afghan refugees, facing a harsh winter without adequate shelter, have received assistance from the Adventist Development and Relief Agency International. Early this month, ADRA provided warm clothing to people who have fled the conflict in Afghanistan and who are now crowded in temporary camps along the border between Afghanistan and Tajikistan.

An estimated 10,000 Afghan refugees have gathered on islands in the Pyanj River which is the border between Afghanistan and Tajikistan. Considered neutral territory, these previously uninhabited islands have no names and are known only by numbers. ADRA distributed 2,000 sets of clothing on Island number 13, each set including a shirt, two warm sweaters, a skirt or trousers, and a warm jacket.

ADRA staff reports from the area say that the refugees are not well prepared for winter. Many lack shoes, socks, and blankets. They are building temporary shelters with whatever materials they can find, primarily clay, sticks, and stones. There are about 800 children among the refugees on Island number 13. Russian soldiers have been providing security on the islands, guarding ADRA, other humanitarian groups, and access channels.

According to Frank Teeuwen, bureau chief for disaster preparedness and response for ADRA International, the agency has shipped seven containers of donated goods to the region. ADRA has coordinated its relief efforts with other non-governmental organizations to avoid duplication of services.

Drought has plagued the region for three years and several million people in Afghanistan are nearing starvation. The country has the world’s lowest per-person caloric intake and highest maternal mortality rate in the world. Mountain winter temperatures in Tajikistan often fall as low as 50 degrees below zero Fahrenheit (minus 45 degrees Celsius) and heavy snow closes mountain passes five months of the year.

See ADRA’s Web site at www.adra.org for updates.