The World Food Programme has begun delivering life-saving food to over 20,000 Afghan families displaced by renewed cross-border conflict with Pakistan.
Families fleeing airstrikes in Kandahar’s Daman district received fortified biscuits-ready-to-eat rations for those without cooking facilities. Vulnerable households will soon receive two months’ food or cash assistance.
Since February 26, clashes have intensified along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. Islamabad accuses Kabul of harboring militants; the Taliban government denies it. The UN reports at least 75 civilians killed and 193 injured in Afghanistan from the fighting.
"Afghanistan is caught between two conflicts," said WFP Country Director John Aylieff. "Any further instability will push millions deeper into hunger." The agency is pursuing an alternate supply route through Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, the Caspian Sea, and Turkmenistan after the Pakistan border closure last October.