In aid-starved Afghanistan, humanitarian workers confront a neglected hunger crisis

With the reeling economy of Afghanistan, millions of people are going hungry

On 26 October, Aseel, a nonprofit US based organization started by Afghan Entrepreneurs, had two deliveries. One in Herat, in Gulzar District and Riaz was supposed to deliver the food items to a couple. For the second delivery Madina was supposed to deliver to a widow in another village of Herat.

Riaz’s car was surrounded by children. Some were barefoot and sucking their fingers as he started unloading bags of flour and rice from the trunk of a blue sedan. Riaz is working for the organization, Aseel and with a fellow volunteer carries the bags over uneven ground, walking carefully through a maze-like jumble of homes built of sand-coloured mud.

Riaz looked into the paper to see if he had reached to the correct location and then lowered the food package and placed it on the carpet of the local couple’s room. The delivery contains food items of emergency use like flour, rice and cooking oil etc. The items will hopefully be enough for the couple and their three children for the next few months.

As soon as the villagers came to know about the arrival of Riaz, women gathered from around the village.