Emergency officials from Russia and the Central Asian Republics of the former Soviet Union have met in the Tajik capital, Dushanbe, to review humanitarian aid to Afghanistan.
Russia's Emergency Situations Minister, Sergei Shoigu, says the ministers decided to form a coalition for delivering aid and coordinating future actions in this area.
Mr. Shoigu stressed Russia has already delivered more than 150 tons of food, blankets, winter clothes and tents to the northern provinces of Afghanistan.
He added that this should help prevent a rush of refugees to neighboring countries, particularly to drought-plagued Tajikistan.