By KUNA
Kabul : The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan airdropped humanitarian aid items onto isolated villages in Ghoryan district of the western Herat province.
Areas in Herat province had received heavy snowfall and dozens of people and hundreds of cattle were killed in different areas due to severe cold, land and snow slide, and avalanches.
A statement from the NATO base here said the humanitarian items were airdropped in several villages in separate operations over the past week. The Afghan government and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) had also earlier said that they had sent rescue teams to assist people trapped in the snow-hit areas.
Due to low temperatures and heavy snowfall over the past weeks, many villages have experienced difficulties with movement, food supply, and health conditions, said the statement.
Regional Command West (RC-West) gathered information on villages in need and helped plan the best way to reach the areas to deliver the goods, it added.
One and a half tons of food, clothing, and boots for locals in Aft Chan village were delivered by helicopters taking off from RC-West. Afghan Army personnel secured the drop area and delivered the goods to the population.
The operation was part of a bigger ISAF humanitarian aid plan to help people across the country to cope with severe winter conditions, the military said.