February 07, 2004

By: Stan Perez
Website: http://www.1st-in-kitchens.com

USAID to Deliver Kitchen Sets and Blankets for Afghanistan

The U.S. Agency for International Development, through the International Organization of Migration yesterday provided the first shipment of 10,000 kitchen sets and 20,000 blankets from Pisa, Italy to Turkmenabad, Turkmenistan, for distribution into Northern Afghanistan. The second part of the shipment is being airlifted today. The total value of the shipment is $473,401.

The blankets were procured from USAID's Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance stockpile in Pisa, Italy. USAID maintains stockpiles of standard relief commodities at four locations around the world. The purpose of these stockpiles is to position them closer to potential disaster sites to make relief commodities more readily available to disaster victims. The pre-positioning of these commodities also reduces delivery costs.

The kitchen sets each contain one 7-liter pot with lid, one 5-liter pot with lid, five deep plates, five stainless steel spoons, and one kitchen knife with plastic handle. All kitchen cookware is made of aluminum and is pre-packed.

The first of the two chartered aircrafts arrived on December 13 carrying 4,416 kitchen sets and 10,200 blankets. The second airlift arrived on December 14 in Turkmenabad carrying 5,584 kitchen sets and 9,800 blankets.

This shipment is part of IOM's winterization strategy to provide for the most urgent needs of Internally Displaced Persons in Western and Northern Afghanistan. IOM's local staff of approximately 150 persons will secure the delivery of non-food items and shelter assistance into Afghanistan.

About The Author:

Stan Perez is a successful author and regular contributor to http://www.1st-in-kitchens.com.  Everything for your kitchen to make it look great and make cooking a whole lot easier.