Local government and soldiers help provide much-needed relief to Panjwai locals

Photo By Sgt. Matt Young | An interpreter helps check the locals' names off a list to receive humanitarian aid packages outside of the district headquarters on July 5, 2012. The packages contained more than 80 pounds of rice, salt, sugar, tea and cooking oil.  

AFGHANISTAN

07.05.2012

Story by Sgt. Matt Young 

117th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment (Hawaii)

FORWARD OPERATING BASE MASUM GHAR, Afghanistan - On July 5, 2012 at the district Headquarters of Panjwai, the District Governor Haji Faizal Mohammand along with Haji Mahmood the Mayor of Panjwai and U.S. soldiers stationed here, stood outside the gate ready to deliver humanitarian aid packages to a selected group of local villagers who have fallen on hard times and/or have been forced to leave their villages due to insurgent activities in the area.

“This morning we handed out 60 packages to displaced citizens here in the Panjwai district,” said 1st Lt. Andrew Marsh with Civil Affairs Team 616 team leader, with 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division. “The packages contained tea, cooking oil, sugar, salt and rice.” The packages contents will be enough to supply one Afghan family with food for a month.

“I think that the people clearly need our help, they don’t have access to a lot of food or a stable economy to have jobs so they can actually purchase the food they need,” said Marsh.

The local maliks, also known as village elders, came together and created a list of the people in their area who were in need of these humanitarian aid packages. The list was then sent to the district governor to be looked over and approved.

Once it was approved, the supplies we gathered and word was put out for the families to send one representative to come and collect their aid package.

These humanitarian aid distributions help give a positive impact on the local villagers from not only the U.S. soldiers but their local government officials as well.

“Every Monday a shura is held here at the district Headquarters for the village elders to come speak about any security concerns the villages are having along with new ways to create jobs for the local villagers to help build their economy so that they will have jobs to be able to put food on the table for their families,” explained Marsh.

• Date Taken: 07.05.2012
• Date Posted: 07.12.2012 03:03
• Story ID: 91400
• Location: AF