Thousands of Afghan villagers in isolated mountain regions, cut off from the world for nearly two months due to the ongoing conflict with Pakistan, finally received vital relief supplies this week.
In the remote border village of Kamdesh, located in the high peaks of Nuristan province, residents reported surviving on little more than cow's milk since fighting intensified in late February.
Despite continued violence along the contested frontier, an international aid convoy successfully navigated a previously unusable road to reach the village, according to provincial officials.
The relief operation—a joint effort by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the Afghan Red Crescent Society, and the World Food Programme—delivered medical equipment, drinking water, and essential food items.
"When the road was closed, we couldn't find flour, oil or sugar," 22-year-old farmer Osama Nuristani told AFP. "We left our homes and went to the mountains... Our animals became sick, and no medicine reached us."
The ICRC estimates that approximately 136,000 people in the region have faced "severe shortages of food, health care and basic household items" due to the conflict.
UN and government data indicate that hundreds of Afghan civilians have been killed in recent weeks as a result of the hostilities.
Community elder Mohammad Naeem, 57, highlighted the area's extreme isolation, noting that the only alternative route is often blocked by snow and remains open for only two months a year. "People would be happy if they could travel again," he said.
The situation along the primary supply route has been perilous; earlier this month, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs labeled the road linking Kamdesh to its neighboring province "unusable" due to the "risk of cross-border firing."
This danger was underscored in mid-March when an NGO worker and her son were killed while traveling the route.
The conflict stems from Islamabad's accusations that Afghanistan is sheltering militants from the Pakistani Taliban, a claim the Afghan government denies.
Amid the geopolitical tension, the local population continues to bear the brunt of the violence.
"Ordinary people suffer when war rages," said 34-year-old farmer Ejaz Ahmad.
Standing before a lorry loaded with flour, salt, and split peas, he urged both nations to "pay serious attention to civilians during the fighting."
Source: AFP
