For the last three years, Afghanistan has been hit by an extreme drought, which has caused one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world. Afghani's are particularly vulnerable to the drought because of deep underlying poverty; 75 percent of Afghani's do not have safe water, 90 percent do not have adequate sanitation, and more than 75 percent lack access to even the most basic health care. Twenty-five percent of Afghani children die before the age of 5. On September 11, as many as five million people, or about one-fifth of the Afghani population, were suffering through a major food shortage. Their numbers have only grown since that date, yet the pursuit of suspected terrorists has taken precedence over their fate. It is our fear that military responses that undermine effective humanitarian aid endanger innocent people and deepen this humanitarian crisis, and by so doing, also undermine the prospects for future cooperation against terrorist acts.

With the onset of the harsh winter only weeks away, millions of Afghanis do not have enough food to survive. Without immediate assistance, their future is grim. And, those who are the most vulnerable are the Afghani children. The deprivations of a harsh winter with little to eat can easily lead to death. The following statement is from five major religious humanitarian assistance programs asking that the U.S. government allow humanitarian programs to access the Afghan people in order to prevent a major catastrophe.

Three Guiding Principles for Humanitarian Aid in the Afghanistan Crisis

The principles that follow must guide humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan. Adherence to these principles will save lives and relieve suffering among a people at risk from drought, chaos, wars and the approaching winter.

As faith-based humanitarian organizations in the U.S. responding to the crisis in Afghanistan, we urgently call upon non-governmental and governmental agencies to uphold the three principles below in all humanitarian actions. We also affirm the "Code of Conduct for The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and NGOs in Disaster Response Programmes" and strongly recommend compliance in this extraordinary crisis. In addition to the Code, the principles draw on lengthy experience in humanitarian service, reflect precepts of U.S. and international law, and address the special challenge that this crisis poses to Christians, Muslims and other people of faith.

All faith-based organizations have a special calling in this crisis. Extremist religion has fanned the flames of conflict. Now faith-based cooperation is necessary to help repair the damage done and inspire remedies still to come.

1. Humanitarian Aid Must Be Provided on the Basis of Need, Not As an Instrument of Political or Military Strategy

We reaffirm the "Code of Conduct" requirement that aid is to be provided wherever it is needed, not as a partisan or political act and not as an instrument of military strategy. In accordance with this principle and the moral teachings of our faith, we commit ourselves and call others to ensure the separation of humanitarian assistance from military action during conflicts, now as in the past. The purpose of aid is to assist people in need, in this case, the vulnerable sectors of the Afghan population.

2. Multilateral Cooperation Is Critical for Effective Aid in Afghanistan

We affirm the principle of multilateral cooperation in this crisis, particularly through the United Nations and its humanitarian agencies. For the U.S. and Europe to provide assistance to populations within the Muslim world, multilateral action is as critical in the humanitarian field as it is in the political arena. The U.S. must be careful not to act alone in ways that sharpen the geopolitical, cultural and religious polarizations complicating this crisis. Cooperation between governments and other international agencies rebuilds the unity essential for the well-being of all peoples now threatened.

In this context we also endorse the U.S. Government's increased commitment to providing humanitarian assistance to the citizens displaced within Afghanistan and in refugee camps across its borders. Multilateral assistance is essential to the success of that U.S. aid.

3. Military Intervention Must Not Exacerbate Humanitarian Crises

Afghanistan's humanitarian crisis will not wait for other goals to be met. On September 11, up to five million people, one fifth of the Afghan population, were suffering through a major food crisis. Their numbers have only grown since that date, yet the pursuit of suspected terrorists has taken precedence over their fate. Military responses that undermine effective humanitarian aid endanger innocent people and deepen this humanitarian crisis, and by so doing, also undermine the prospects for future cooperation against terrorist acts.

Given the urgent needs and approach of winter, we call for all parties to this conflict to establish conditions that permit the immediate, safe delivery of humanitarian aid in the quantities needed. Such conditions may include ceasefires, safe zones for relief work, humanitarian aid corridors and similar measures, to be accompanied by multinational monitoring of compliance.