Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
Hundreds of thousands of Afghan children face hunger and poverty amid natural disasters and reduced humanitarian funding. For many, fortified biscuits distributed by the World Food Programme (WFP) provide their most nutritious daily meal.
One recent shipment of 397 metric tons from Indonesia, intended for about 172,000 students and part of a $3.5 million contribution, was originally sent by boat to Karachi, Pakistan. However, tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan resulted in border closures, complicating the cargo's planned overland transport.
WFP logistics officers responded by rerouting the shipment to the port of Jebel Ali in Dubai, intending to ship it across the Persian Gulf to Iran for overland transit. Instability in the Middle East and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz impacted this plan, prompting WFP to find a new overland corridor across the Caucasus.
The alternative route extends the journey by approximately 8,000 kilometers, crossing seven countries: United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria, Türkiye, Georgia, and Azerbaijan. Trucks then board a ferry across the Caspian Sea to Turkmenistan before entering Afghanistan via the Torghundi border and continuing to Kabul. Each border crossing requires customs clearance, security checks, and transport permits.
Although this corridor is more complex and costly, WFP emphasizes that hunger cannot wait for borders to reopen, underscoring the urgency and challenges of delivering emergency food aid to Afghan children in need.