As part of its ongoing commitment to supporting needy families in winter in Afghanistan, the Bayat Foundation has once again provided essential food aid to hundreds of needy families in Kunduz province.

The Bayat Foundation’s representative in the northeastern zone, Khair Mohammad Saljoqi, explained that the relief packages included flour, rice, and oil, which were distributed to the needy after a thorough survey.

He stated: “The Bayat Charity Foundation continues its annual winter aid distribution [program]. This year, we have prepared winter relief packages for the needy in Kunduz, and today we are witnessing the distribution.”

Meanwhile, recipients have expressed their gratitude for the timely delivery of the relief packages and have called for further assistance from other humanitarian organizations for impoverished families.

One of the aid recipients, expressed his appreciation, saying: "We are very grateful to the Bayat Foundation."

Another recipient said: “We are very happy that the Bayat Foundation has helped the poor people. May God give strength to the Bayat Foundation to continue helping needy families, as it is winter, the weather is cold, and there is no work.”

Additionally, several women, who are the sole breadwinners for their families, shared that they have no food or warm clothing to get them through winter and are in desperate need of such assistance.

They also thanked the Bayat Foundation for their assistance.

Rukhshana, one of the recipients, said: “Please help us. We don’t have a breadwinner at home. I have small children. Traders should help us. We have no firewood, no coal. We thank the Bayat Foundation for helping us.”

The Bayat Foundation is a stalwart in terms of assisting needy people, not only through its winter food aid campaign but also in times of disaster.

Foundation officials have meanwhile stressed that given the growing poverty and worsening hardships people are facing in the country, their winter aid program will continue to be rolled out to other provinces.

A high-ranking delegation from India's Gujarat Chamber of Commerce has expressed interest in importing coal and marble from Afghanistan and investing in Afghanistan's coal mining sector.

The officials expressed interest at a meeting with Ikramuddin Kamil, acting head of the Afghan consulate in Mumbai, India.

Kamil assured them that he would facilitate an online meeting at a technical level with the relevant Afghan institutions in this regard.

He said security is ensured in Afghanistan, corruption does not exist and there are investment opportunities for Indian businessmen.

The Embassy of Japan in Kabul has announced a new humanitarian aid package of $27.5 million to support the people of Afghanistan.

According to a statement issued on Tuesday, the donation will be directed towards addressing the country’s urgent humanitarian needs, with a focus on providing essential assistance through the United Nations, international organizations, and Japanese non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

This contribution is part of Japan’s continued commitment to Afghanistan, bringing the total amount of Japanese aid to the country since August 2021 to $505 million.

This comes just days after the UN’s World Food Program (WFP) warned that as Afghanistan’s harsh winter sets in, millions of families across the country are being forced to make impossible choices between keeping their children warm or providing enough food.

The organization stated: “Millions of families are enduring the cold of winter without sufficient food, and many are facing the heart-wrenching dilemma of choosing between feeding their children and keeping them warm.”

International aid agencies had warned that this winter would be particularly difficult for the people of Afghanistan, especially given the shortfall in funding for essential aid.

The WFP recently reported that in Afghanistan's urban areas one in three families was unable to meet their basic living expenses.