Afghanistan humanitarian crisis prompts multi‑nation food aid reroute

Afghanistan remains in a severe humanitarian emergency, with widespread poverty, malnutrition and especially harsh restrictions on women. Local partner HAWCA, supported by CISDA, reports that vulnerable families continue to need both emergency food and long‑term economic assistance.

The World Food Programme is delivering fortified biscuits to schoolchildren but faces a complex logistics maze. An initial shipment of 397 metric tons from Surabaya, Indonesia, intended to travel through Pakistan was blocked by border closures. The cargo was then redirected to Dubai, then attempted via Iran before the Strait of Hormuz closed. Ultimately, WFP organized a new over‑land corridor crossing the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria, Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan (via a ferry at Baku) and Turkmenistan, before entering Afghanistan at the Torghundi crossing. The convoy, lasting weeks, finally reached Kabul warehouses and distributed the biscuits to schools in Ghor, Nuristan and Paktika, providing essential nutrition to thousands of children.