Rustaq Winterization Project:

Starting date:             01 December 2001
Completion:               04 February 2002
Implemented by:        Terre des hommes (TDH)


Staff:

The winter relief project has been planned to help vulnerable children and their families in 15 villages in Rustaq district as well as in Rustaq town in order to help them to survive the winter and to provide most needed supplementary food items. The supplementary food included rice, oil, sugar and chickpeas. The project lasted two months, from 5^th of December until 4^th of February, targeting 2.000 beneficiary families. The project focused on distribution of rice, chickpeas, edible oil and sugar in order to provide staple food like rice, high-energy food like edible oil and sugar and protein food like chickpeas. The food items are considered to be supplementary food supply for a starving population.
 

The project distributed 76.457 kg of rice, 48.000 kg of chickpeas, 21.250 kg edible oil, and 3.000 kg sugar for distribution and a variety of medicines. The project succeeded in purchasing all food items and distributed in three rounds all food items to the 15 villages and Rustaq town. The winter relief project was the first and one to distribute urgent needed food items in a region, which is severely affected by drought, and whose population lost almost all coping mechanism due to the devastating earthquakes of the past, the three years-long drought and the ongoing military conflict in the region. With its timely response the project efficiently contributed to the survival of the targeted population. Communities actively participated in the project. In all the fifteen villages committees (shuras), with community elders and religious leaders (mullahs), were formed to assist in selecting the poorest families in the villages – thus avoiding any tensions within the villages. Due to the absence of any political authority the local commanders (warlords) gave full support and protection to the project – realizing the needs for their own clientele.

Co-funded by terre des hommes Germany and the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs.