The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said in a statement that humanitarian organizations have launched a multi-day operation yesterday to deliver emergency aid to the Kamdesh and Bargi Matal Matal districts of Nuristan.
According to the statement, around 136,000 people in these two districts had faced severe shortages of food, healthcare, and basic supplies for two months due to insecurity and restricted access.
The statement added that since mid-April, the ICRC, the Afghan Red Crescent Society, and United Nations agencies have held continuous talks with the parties involved (the Taliban and Pakistan) to ensure safe and unimpeded humanitarian access to the districts.
The ICRC said that following these discussions, humanitarian organizations have now begun delivering life-saving assistance to Kamdesh and Bargi Matal.
Access routes to the districts have also reopened, allowing markets to gradually restock with goods. The transfer of patients to healthcare facilities has also resumed.
The statement stressed that initial assessments show that the needs of people in Kamdesh and Red Cross Says Aid Agencies Launch Relief Deliveries to Kamdesh, Bargi Matal remain significant, particularly in the areas of food security, healthcare, and basic services.
During the clashes with the Taliban, Pakistan had blocked access routes to the two districts and reportedly targeted anyone attempting to pass through. The districts were effectively under siege for several weeks.
