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Thousands Of Afghan Refugees Aided By Bayat Foundation And Afghanistan's Ariana Television Network: Working To Spread Warmth During Harsh Afghanistan Winter

More than a quarter of a million dollars goes to feed and shelter refugees.

As Afghanistan's annual harsh winter hits and homeless millions suffer from deplorable conditions - lack of warmth, clothing, shelter, and a warm meal - Afghanistan's Ariana Television Network and the Bayat Foundation teamed up to address the growing number of refugees returning from neighboring countries with a fundraising campaign and winter aid supply packages. Via Ariana Television Network, which has broadcast to audiences around the world since its launch in the summer of 2005, the company has been producing documentaries of Afghan citizens and their devastating living conditions, to attract attention from the international community and expose the immediate need for global intervention.

A two-week December, 2006, fundraising campaign - "Let's Keep Afghanistan Warm For The Winter" - organized by the Bayat Foundation and run from December 11 to December 20, 2006, raised $131,000 dollars from the international community for the Afghan people. That amount was matched dollar for dollar by the Bayat Foundation, to total more than $262,000, with an additional $40,000 in out-of-pocket expenses for transportation of personnel and delivery of products was paid for by the Foundation.

Included among the aid distributed to provinces across the country were winter aid packages that included tents, blankets, flour, oil, coal, winter caps, hooded sweatshirts, and - in certain places - medical intervention. In all, the 15 provinces which received various levels of aid were:

- 300 families in Badakshan
- 350 families in Faryab
- 1,200 families in Bamyan
- 400 families in Daikondi
- 400 families in Uruzgan
- 1,000 families in Herat
- 250 families in Ghor
- 410 families in Farah
- 1,500 families in Badghis
- 210 families in Barik Ab-Parwan
- 100 families in Taliqan
- 400 families in Panjwaee Khandahar
- 174 families in Kabul
- 150 families in Shindand district in Herat
- 150 families in Daman district in Khandahar

Rough terrain, bad road and winter weather conditions in Afghanistan made delivering the materials to some of these provinces extremely difficult. For example, it took about 28 days to get the products delivered from Kabul to Daikondi province.

Ehsanullah Bayat, president of Ariana Television Network and chairman of the Bayat Foundation, said, "These are the times that Afghanis need to come together and unite as a nation to help those in need in our country. Everyone who participated helped support our efforts to help Afghanistan and bring attention to the needs of the people. The Bayat Foundation is commited to supporting Afghanistan every step of the way as it continues to rebuild."

Bayat Foundation is the most active charity organization in Afghanistan. Reconstruction projects which it has supported include hospitals, schools, clinics and mosques, among others. Both Ariana Television Network, broadcast around the world, and Bayat Foundation are owned by Ehsanullah Bayat.

To find out more about the activities of the Bayat Foundation, visit 'http://www.bayatfoundation.org' or Fatema Bayat at f.bayat@bayatfoundation.org.
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   Co-Chair
   Bayat Foundation
   Fort Lee,    NJ,    07024
   USA
   201-302-0400 (phone)
   201-302-0406 (fax)
   f.bayat@bayatfoundation.org