The Kabul Tribune (KT) — The International Committee of the Red Cross said a coordinated humanitarian response has been launched in Nuristan Province after weeks of isolation left tens of thousands without access to food and essential services.
The disruption followed an escalation of hostilities along
the Afghanistan–Pakistan border in mid-February 2026, which blocked the road
linking Kamdesh District and Barg-e-Matal District for nearly two months.
According to authorities and the United Nations Office for
the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, about 17,000 households — roughly
136,000 people — were affected, facing severe shortages of food, medical care
and other basic services.
The ICRC said a joint response, coordinated with the Afghan
Red Crescent Society and the World Food Programme, began on April 21 after
negotiations to ensure humanitarian access.
The operation included the delivery of food, medical
supplies and other relief items. The ICRC said it transported nine trucks
carrying 17 metric tons of medical supplies and equipment, which were
distributed to hospitals, health centers and mobile health teams to sustain
services in the affected districts.
Mobile health teams supported by ARCS provided frontline
assistance, while rehabilitation services reached people with disabilities. The
ICRC also delivered water purification and hygiene supplies to about 12,000
households to improve access to safe water.
Food assistance reached approximately 17,000 households,
with WFP delivering more than 1,000 metric tons of essential items, including
wheat flour, pulses, oil and salt.
The ICRC said the response was critical as ongoing
insecurity, difficult terrain and damaged infrastructure had severely
restricted movement and access to services, leaving many communities without
adequate food, medical care or access to referral hospitals for weeks.
