“Citizens of the World” Group Lands Third Cargo of Winter Children’s Clothes Since Freezing Deaths in 2012

A group of private citizens from many different countries has successfully raised and is delivering its third multi-ton cargo of winter children’s clothing and blankets from donors around the world, to the refugee camps around Kabul. Delivery of the items is made possible through the generous donation of air transportation services by private air cargo companies.

The flight, dubbed Abdullah’s Flight, raises the quantity of winter baby hats, sweaters, mittens, boots, and other warm clothing delivered to over ten tons. In addition, the citizens group is delivering an ultrasound machine to a local maternity hospital, which was donated by the Keihan Foundation in the Netherlands. Most of the clothing in this delivery was collected by the Afghan-American Students Association at George Washington University in America. The Keihan Foundation, a community service organization for Afghans living in the Netherlands, also collected a large quantity of winter baby clothing.

Mr. Myron D. Stokes, coordinator for air transport and the managing director of the air transportation company Global HeavyLift Holdings, said:

“This shows that ordinary people can come together when shocked by something so tragic as infants as young as one month freezing from poverty, poverty which precludes heated shelter in the winter and adequate clothing, blankets, and food. We can come together to address the problem. We wish to give special thanks to Development and
Humanitarian services for Afghanistan, and Killid Group, who have been essential partners, and is unsurpassed in its commitment to helping the ordinary people of Afghanistan who face struggles every day.”

Ms. Zarghona Rassa, director of the British Afghan Women’s Society in London and leader of the project ground team in Kabul, said:

“Being here and witnessing the situation, any one who contributed a minute or a cent for this mission will be rewarded.”

Other partners in the project are Kalitta Air also of America, Nye-Express in Kabul, DHL-Great Britain, Fast Forward Freight, Belgium, Aviapartner Belgium, the British Afghan Women’s Society, and the non-profit organization Jobs for Afghans in the U.S and Canada.

We would also like to give very special thanks to DHL-Bahrain and DHL-Bagram.

A busy schedule ahead for May. Drop in sessions for young Afghans. Whatever the problem or issue, you will be able to discuss this with us.

A special CV drop in session. We will be able to look at your CV’s and provide useful tips.

A learn to cook workshop teaching you how to cook popular Afghan dishes.

Addicted in Afghanistan, discussing the issues of drugs in Afghanistan and the cross cultural affects for those living in London.

Inspiring the Younger Generation, viewing of the DAWN Documentary. Looking closer at the issue women have faced over the years and how this generation can succeed to make a difference.

For further information on dates please see the link below.

May sessions for Afghan Young People at Westside Young People’s Centre.

Pam O’Toole from British Irish Agencies Afghanistan Group (BAAG) Interviews Andreja Mesaric and Ammarah Ahmad from BAWS about the DAWN project.

BAAG INTERVIEW

DAWN LINK

During the Month of May we shall be having many workshops and drop in sessions at Westside Young People’s Centre. Please take a look at the sessions that we will be running. Further dates are to be confirmed.

Upcoming sessions for Afghan Young People at Westside Young People’s Centre.

Dear All,

It is now possible to be able to donate via our website. All you need to do is select the donate now button placed on several places on the website and choose your campaign. This will then take you to paypal portal in which you can make a donation.

For those who do not have a paypal account don’t worry as you can still make donation without creating an account.

Please support us in our campaigns so together we can make a difference.

Thank you

BAWS

First day of the New Year, Nawroz (New-day), is celebrated by millions of Afghans for centuries. This is the first day of spring on moment the Sun crosses the celestial equator and equalizes day and night exactly. Families gather together to observe the ceremonies.  The UN General Assembly recognized The International Day of Nawroz in 2010 as a Spring Festival.

Nawroz Mobarak to all. May this year bring peace, happiness and love to all around the world.

BAWS

Dear All,

A warm welcome to our new website. Please feel free to browse. Our website has just been launched so if you see any mistakes around the site, please do contact us to let us know.

We would like your feedback on our new look. Please do let us know your comments.

Keep visiting our site regularly to stay connected with our current news and events.

Thank you.

BAWS

Open Letter to UN Secretary General on the Freezing Deaths of Children in the Refugee Camps in Kabul, Afghanistan, and the Efforts of the British Afghan Woman’s Society to Prevent Further Deaths This Winter

24 October, 2012

Dear United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon,

As the world knows, last winter at least 100 young children in Afghanistan froze to death as a result of inadequate clothing, blankets, food, and fuel for heating in the refugee camps in Kabul alone. Freezing deaths of children were reported by both Mr. Rod Nordland of the New York Times and by the BBC. Amnesty International last week said in a press release announcing an open letter to the UN and international non-governmental organizations working in
Afghanistan:

“Urgent steps are needed if Afghanistan is to avoid a repeat of the deaths among children and adults in the country’s displacement camps that occurred during last year’s bitterly cold winter conditions, a coalition of 30 NGOs including Amnesty International said today. Last winter was unusually cold in Afghanistan, and more than a 100 people,
mostly children, died in refugee camps from the cold or illness.”

We of the British Afghan Women’s Society are pleased to inform you we and other private citizens have arranged an airlift of winter baby clothes and other winter items departing from Liege Airport in Belgium on October 30th, which gives all interested parties the opportunity order and send or deliver boxes of winter items to:

British Afghan Women’s Society
Room 4, Community House, 311, Fore Street, Edmonton, N9 0PZ, London, UK

Being sought most are warm winter clothes for children of all ages but especially for ages 0-10, such as hats, mittens, wool baby socks, blankets, baby formula, and powdered milk. Items should be boxed in cardboard and the contents specified.

The call for assistance has been made, and we are answering it. The air cargo space which has been generously donated by private air cargo companies, led by Mr Myron. D Stokes of Global HeavyLift Holdings Inc. of Bloomfields Hills, Michigan, can easily handle a few more tons of air cargo. We are looking forward to helping the international
humanitarian assistance community transform words into action, by most gratefully accepting both donations of cargo, as well as monetary donations which we can put toward purchasing more winter items to be delivered by local vendors in Belgium.

For more information on monetary donations please go to the following link, and reference donation with the note “winter012.”
http://www.britishafghanwomen.org/2/fundraising/ways-to-donate/

All donations will be acknowledged publicly by the British Afghan Women’s Society in a major press release. As well, a gala “thank you” dinner for donors and participants is planned.

Questions may be directed to Zarghona Rassa at the email:

baws_uk@yahoo.com and/or info@britishafghanwomen.org

telephone: 0044(0)208 3736350

As you know, Mr. Secretary-General, approximately 35,000 Afghans live in the refugee camps in Kabul, almost all of them fleeing the raging violence in the countryside. The freezing deaths of children in the refugee camps were due to inadequate clothes, blankets, food, and fuel for heat for families living mostly in unheated tents. The world was
shocked when it learned that the deaths took place in the most secure region of Afghanistan, which is a bustling hub of commercial and international activity.

Indeed, some have argued that NATO is in violation of the Geneva Convention which details “duties and responsibilities of an occupying
power” under Article 59:

“If the whole or part of the population of an occupied territory is inadequately supplied, the Occupying Power shall agree to relief schemes on behalf of the said population, and shall facilitate them by all the means at its disposal.”

We urge you, Mr. Secretary-General, to deploy all the resources at your command to help us make this project a success, which is named Deadra’s Flight, after a recently-passed friend of the Afghan people who urged us to “move heaven and Earth” to help the children. It is high time the world ceased averting its gaze to the enormous,
unnecessary suffering of so many Afghans.

Sincerely,

Zarghona Rassa, British Afghan Women’s Society

Myron D. Stokes, Global HeavyLift Holdings Inc. (leading air transport effort)

Ralph Lopez, Jobs for Afghans

Sources:

Amnesty International Open Letter:
http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/ASA11/019/2012/en/9eef4073-92d0-4a9a-9942-8031e148a3b5/asa110192012en.pdf

Amnesty International Press Release:
http://www.amnesty.org.uk/news_details.asp?NewsID=20393

Urgent Appeal UK/US/EU/Asia/Middle-East – Help with Airlift of Winter
Children’s Clothes to Afghanistan Wanted
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/urgent-appeal-ukuseuasiamiddle-east—help-with-airlift-of-winter-childrens-clothes-to-afghanistan-wanted-174768661.html

Public Service Announcement:

BRITISH AFGHAN WOMEN’S SOCIETY URGENTLY NEEDS TRUCKING COMPANY TO DONATE TRANSPORT SERVICES TO TAKE WINTER BABY CLOTHES FOR AFGHAN CHILDREN FROM LONDON TO LIEGE AIRPORT IN BELGIUM.

Date: 15 October, 2012

FOR ON-AIR NARRATION:

The British Afghan Women’s Society in London has collected nearly three tons of warm winter baby and children’s clothes to send to the refugee camps in Kabul, Afghanistan. But urgent help is needed in transporting the cargo from London to Liege Airport in Belgium. If you own a trucking service and can donate your company’s services please call 208 3736350. At least one large truck is needed.

More than 35,000 people are living in unheated tents where temperatures will likely dip below zero this winter, making it a dangerous time for the poverty-stricken families who often lack adequate blankets and clothes. Last winter the BBC reported that at least 23 children under the age of five froze to death in the camps. The donations will be flown to Afghanistan through the generous donated services of air cargo companies.

If you own a trucking service and can kindly donate your company’s services, please contact:

Ms. Zarghona Rassa
Tel: +44 (0) 208 373 6350 or +44 (0) 795 647 1078
E-mail: info(at)britishafghanwomen(dot)org & zrassa(at)yahoo(dot)com
Website: www.BritishAfghanWomen.org

After the great success of our previous Winter Appeal we are once again taking donation to Afghanistan to support families and young children. We are collecting the following items below.

• blankets
• warm baby clothes
• children’s clothes
• warm clothes
• boots
• shoes
• scarves
• baby formula
• other dried, non-perishable food items
• monetary donations to cover costs of local transportation and extras on the ground

Please make sure that all items are in good condition. Please can we request, that you follow the simple procedures below to package the items. This will make it easier for us and also for security clearance procedures for transportation to Afghanistan.

• Place all items in clear see through plastic bags (so all items are visible).
• Please can you package the different types of items together. For example hats in one bag and socks in another.
• Place all items in boxes.
• Label the boxes with the content, your name and address.
• Please number the boxes.

We need all donations by the 14^th October 2012 12pm.

Please post or deliver the donations to:

British Afghan Women’s Society

Collection Points

North London – BAWS Offices
Community House,
311 Fore Street,
Edmonton,
N9 0PZ

Central London:
Pizza 2 go
15 Tabard Street,
London,
SE1 4BL
Nearest tube station is Borough

West London:
Maihan Commodities Ltd
Unit 3,
Chiltern Business Village,
Arundel Road,
Middlesex
UB8 2SN
info@maihan.co.uk

We are also taking monetary donations.

Please visit this page to see the different ways you can donate to us.

PLEASE NOTE: YOU CAN DROP DONATIONS ANY TIME BETWEEN TODAY AND 14th OCT 12pm OR CONTACT US SO WE CAN COLLECT  OR  ALTERNATIVELY GIVE YOU AN ADDRESS OF THE DROP OFF POINT NEAR YOU

VOLUNTEERS WHO WOULD LIKE TO HELP, PLEASE LET US KNOW TOO.

ITEMS IN PLASTIC BAGS ONLY WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED

Please spread the word of this campaign and help save lives.

British Afghan Women’s Society would like to thank you once again for your support in this Winter Appeal to help family’s especially young children and babies in Afghanistan.