U.S. Sends Condolences, Emergency Relief to Baghlan Province

(Press release says U.S. remains ready to provide further assistance)
(560)

Following the March 26 earthquake in the Baghlan Province of
Afghanistan, the United States has been providing emergency relief to
assist those whose relatives were killed or injured, or were made
homeless.

A March 27 press release from the U.S. Embassy in Kabul said that the
government and people of the United States "send their heartfelt
condolences to the victims."

"Given the isolated region in which the tragedy occurred, the U.S.
Ambassador to Afghanistan, Robert P. Finn, has declared a disaster and
determined that the U.S. government should respond with humanitarian
assistance, as requested by the Afghan Interim Authority," said the
statement.

Thus far, the U.S. has provided two transport helicopters to
distribute emergency, medical and water supplies to the affected area.

U.S. military, medical and support personnel in Afghanistan are also
being brought to the region in order to distribute humanitarian goods,
help earthquake victims and assess damage.

The embassy press release said the U.S. Agency for International
Development announced it was contributing $25,000 to the Afghan
Interim Authority for humanitarian and emergency relief.

"The U.S. government remains ready to provide further assistance to
the earthquake victims as more detailed assessments of the damage are
available," said the press release.

Following is the text of a press release from the U.S. Embassy in
Kabul:

(begin text)

Press Release  March 27, 2002

United States Sends Emergency Relief to Afghan Earthquake Victims

The United States government and its people send their heartfelt
condolences to the victims of the earthquake in and around Nahrin, in
northern Afghanistan.

To assist those whose relatives were killed or injured in the
earthquake or who lost their homes as a result of the tremors in
Baghlan Province, the United States is providing the following
emergency relief:

-- Two CH-47 Chinook transport helicopters from Bagram airbase
departed Kabul International Airport for Nahrin Wednesday,
transporting three pallets of medicines, water and other emergency
supplies from member-nations of the U.N. A two-person U.S. Army
medical team from the Coalition Joint Civil-Military Operations Task
Force (CJCMOTF) and a five-member U.S. military civil affairs team are
also on board the helicopters and will remain in Nahrin to assist
earthquake victims and to assess damage in the affected zone, and to
communicate any additional requirements to their liaison at the
headquarters of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs in Kabul.

-- Another four-person U.S. military civil affairs team is driving
from Mazar e Sharif to Nahrin Thursday to assess damage in the
earthquake zone;

-- A six-member U.S. support team will assist in the transfer of
humanitarian goods at Mazar e Sharif for movement to Nahrin, and

-- The U.S. Agency for International Development is contributing
$25,000 to the Afghan Interim Authority, through the French
non-governmental organization, ACTED, which has been providing
humanitarian and emergency relief to victims in the affected area, in
coordination with the Afghan Interim Authority.

Given the isolated region in which the tragedy occurred, the U.S.
Ambassador to Afghanistan, Robert P. Finn, has declared a disaster and
determined that the U.S. government should respond with humanitarian
assistance, as requested by the Afghan Interim Authority.

The U.S. government remains ready to provide further assistance to the
earthquake victims as more detailed assessments of the damage are
available.

(end text)

(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)