The following is a report from Afghanistan, after aid was sent to an earthquake area where over a thousand people were killed. This report was very dangerous for our partners to send, as the Taliban is very careful who is allowed to work in the earthquake disaster area.

Some information from the report has been omitted for the safety of our partners on the ground in Afghanistan. For security reasons, we have decided not to add any photographs or video to this report and will share at a later date.

Dear BTJ

I want to write to you about my mission and the distribution of aid in the earthquake disaster area. With your help, I was able to travel to the disaster area and interview the victims and write down their needs.

At the scene, there were officials from the government, other countries, and a few organizations and private institutions, but [in my opinion] these groups were not able to meet the needs of the people. When I wrote down their needs according to what they told me, my list was different than what the government was reporting in the news.

Within hours, I was able to buy the things people needed according to the list they gave me.

Many family homes were completely destroyed and were unlivable, so I bought tents and carpets that families could temporarily live in for the next couple of weeks.

I have been living in the earthquake area for several days and we experienced several aftershocks. The aftershocks were so bad that several more people died during the tremors that followed.

The distribution that I was doing was illegal, but after the people saw what I was doing, they petitioned the government to give me a legal distribution permit. In only a few days, I was given a permit and everything that I did after that was legal.

All of the shops in the disaster zone were closed down, so we had to arrange trucks to bring the supplies from miles away. The roads were destroyed so this was no easy task. There were robbers along the road between the disaster area and other cities, so the government arranged security personnel to travel with me and help keep me and my small team of [local] volunteers safe.

I felt proud that I can help and I have been chosen [by BTJ] for this mission! I only wished I could get more help for the earthquake victims! I wished I could get more tents for them as their homes have been destroyed!

The earthquake affected three additional areas that I was not able to visit. At the moment, all the aid is in the [place where I traveled] but the people [in other provinces] also need help and have been forgotten.

This was my first trip to the remote areas in the current situation of my country!

I have to admit, it was a difficult road and I did not know what would happen, but now with all that has happened and the experience I have gained, I feel emotional, responsible and capable.

I would like to ask you to help the people of Afghanistan more, I would like to help them in the provinces far away from the capital city of Kabul, where people have problems and no one to help them. They have access to nothing and life is difficult for them. I want to help those people!

The people of Afghanistan are in need of help. The poverty rate in Afghanistan was higher and has now doubled. Now I have a permit and have permission to travel.

I want to say thank you to [BTJ] for your help and support.