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CNN Live Today

Aid Reaching Afghan Families After Earthquake

Aired March 28, 2002 - 14:38   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Emergency aid right now starting to reach thousands of homeless and hungry families in northern Afghanistan. This just a few days after that devastating quake leveled so many lives. Walter Rodgers, from Kabul, flew with the U.S. military and also flew along with some aid in northern Afghanistan. Here is his report from there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WALTER RODGERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Afghanistan is about risk-taking. Even in small things, like ferrying food and medicine to earthquake victims. This U.S. cargo helicopter, on its way to help those rendered homeless by the earthquake, bristles with three machine guns. The threat of terrorists, in any of the thousands of mudhuts below, with a shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missile.

Flying through spectacular mountain ranges, a pilot error. The lead helicopter takes a wrong turn. In the thin air, the choppers are too heavily loaded with relief supplies to make it over the 16,000- foot mountain range just ahead. Over the intercom, a pilot is heard to say, "This is a little dangerous. Maybe we'd better turn around."

Backtracking, a safer route is found. More risk as the choppers approach the landing zone. Dozens of Afghans, with no security checks, rush to unload food for the earthquake victims.

(on camera): These relief helicopters don't stay on the ground long. Only about 10 minutes. They're pretty big targets. And, as one sergeant said, "We figure we're still in a war zone."

(voice-over): U.S. paratroopers throw up a perimeter to protect the choppers. An exaggerated threat? No, says a Marine officer.

CAPT. STEPHEN O'CONNOR, MARINE CORPS: We came out yesterday. The enemy might have known we were coming again. I mean, we don't know who is al Qaeda or Taliban, and who is not. More than likely they knew we were coming back again. So there's never too much security.

RODGERS: Ironic, because the Afghans the Americans have come to feed and protect, have known almost no security from either earthquakes or wars.

"We have nothing left," this man says. "We need food. Everything we own is buried beneath what was once our house."

So these soldiers take the risks, flying in clean water, because this is the way many Afghans get their water. The relief organizations also take the risks for these victims they may never see. Because these Afghans endured more tragedy and deprivation in their lifetimes than the rest of us can ever imagine. Walter Rodgers, CNN, Nahrin, northern Afghanistan.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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