Today the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, trucked humanitarian goods from Termez, Uzbekistan, to Afghanistan. The delivery is part of UNHCR’s aid effort to Afghanistan and a massive operation to provide life-saving aid to the people of Afghanistan.

The consignments were sent from UNHCR’s humanitarian hub established in the Termez Cargo Centre with support of the Government of Uzbekistan. Located less than two kilometers from the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan border, the Termez Cargo Centre in southern Uzbekistan is a key part of UNHCR’s efforts to secure humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people.

Humanitarian supplies include approximately 40 tons of core relief items, such as kitchen sets and plastic sheets. Delivered to Termez by air and land in October-November 2021, these good have now been trucked to Afghanistan to replenish stocks held locally and to respond to emerging needs.

“We appreciate the ongoing support of the Uzbek Government and local partners in Termez enabling UNHCR to provide quick humanitarian assistance when it is needed the most. Now when millions of Afghans face food insecurity and are extremely vulnerable surviving the harsh winter, urgent help is required to save lives and prevent humanitarian crisis,” said Mr Frank Remus, UNHCR Senior Liaison Officer.

UNHCR pre-positioned humanitarian supplies at Termez as part of its overall emergency response and preparedness strategy for the region. In addition to holding a contingency stockpile of UNHCR core relief items, the Termez hub also serves as the main consolidation and transfer point to deliver material assistance to UNHCR’s operations in Afghanistan, Iran and Central Asia. Accordingly, regular consignments of humanitarian supplies will be sent through Termez for the duration of UNHCR’s response to the Afghanistan emergency.