The first barge leaving from Termez, Uzbekistan, has delivered 100 metric tons of blankets and sheeting to northern Afghanistan, says U.S. Agency for International Development's (USAID) Central Asia coordinator.

In a November 14 press briefing, Bear McConnell said a second barge will leave Uzbekistan November 15 with 500 tons of food aid. He added that a United Nations security assessment November 17 and 18 of the road in Afghanistan should help the government of Uzbekistan determine if the road can be used for trucking aid deliveries from Uzbekistan . Andrew Natsios, USAID administrator, was in Uzbekistan November 13 "pressing the case" for opening the Friendship Bridge between the two countries, which Uzbekistan has kept closed for security reasons.

McConnell said the World Food Program (WFP) is doing a "magnificent job" moving food into Afghanistan. During October it carried in 29,000 metric tons -- more than in any previous month -- and so far in November it has delivered more than 27,000 tons.

McConnell said that 65,000 metric tons of food are now coming into Iran for delivery to Afghanistan, 100,000 tons have been purchased and are being prepared for delivery to the area and an additional 55,000 tons are on order. "The tricky part is in the final stages" of getting the food into hungry mouths, he said.

McConnell added that the focus has been on reorienting food deliveries to the north. The WFP is doing some airlifting of food from Quetta, Pakistan, to Turkmenistan for delivery by truck into Afghanistan. "The north is best served from the north," he said.

Local nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) then take the food to villages where "hopefully they know who the needy are and can give the food directly to them." The area of most need -- the central highlands -- is also the most "uninhabitable" with tall mountains, cold winters and poor roads.

McConnell said that late this month discussions will begin on "spot reconstruction" that is to start after the emergency phase of the relief effort.