Afghanistan: UN distributes aid brought by New York City police and firefighters

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today distributed aid brought to Afghanistan by police and firefighters from New York City, according to a spokesperson for the agency.

"Food and blankets are being distributed as we speak to more than 700 orphaned children in Kabul," Jordan Dey told reporters in Islamabad. The aid was delivered to the Bagram air base by an Ilyouchin 76 cargo plane carrying 14 New York City firefighters and police officers. "A four-truck WFP convoy met them, then departed immediately for the Tahiya Masqan orphanage," Dey said.

Meanwhile, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) today reported that as the situation in Afghanistan gradually improves, refugees are returning to the war-stricken country. Some 2,500 Afghans returned yesterday, according to agency spokesperson Maki Shinohara. "The returning refugees said they were hopeful for a better future in Afghanistan."

The agency hopes to re-establish its office in the southwest Afghan border town of Zaranj "as soon as it is logistically possible," said Shinohara. "Together with UNHCR's office in Zabol in Iran, we are preparing to send in relief supplies to the displaced people in southwest Afghanistan, which has been struck severely by drought."