First EU Humanitarian Aid Flight Arrives in Afghanistan

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) announced that the first of three humanitarian flights funded by the European Union arrived in Kabul, carrying 20,000 packets of ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) for children suffering from severe acute malnutrition across Afghanistan.

Veronica Buskovic Pohar, charge d'affaires of the EU diplomatic mission in Kabul, stated during the handover to UNICEF: "The European Union remains committed to supporting the most vulnerable people in Afghanistan to ensure lifesaving nutrition reaches children when it is needed most. This assistance through UNICEF will enable the treatment of 20,000 children in Afghanistan." She added that the aid would be distributed by UNICEF to humanitarian organizations to ensure uninterrupted treatment for vulnerable children until normal supply routes resume.

Tajaldin Oyowale, UNICEF representative in Afghanistan, said: "For children suffering from severe acute malnutrition, timely treatment can make the difference between life and death," according to Amu TV. Pajhwok reported a slightly different phrasing: "timely treatment can be beneficial."

UNICEF noted ongoing shortages of humanitarian supplies inside the country, attributed to a lack of local procurement options, the closure of border crossings with Pakistan -- a main supply route -- and reduced funding from major previous donors. Economic instability, conflicts, and climate-related disasters have intensified food insecurity, placing Afghanistan at the center of a prolonged nutrition crisis, with an estimated 3.7 million children under five years old suffering from acute malnutrition.

Separately, Khaama Press reported that the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) stated the World Food Programme (WFP) has suspended operations and food distributions in areas affected by cross-border fighting between Taliban forces and Pakistan, impacting approximately 160,000 people. The clashes, which began last Thursday, involve Pakistani airstrikes on at least 51 locations inside Afghanistan and Taliban rocket attacks on Pakistani border posts, exacerbating malnutrition concerns in affected provinces.