Afghanistan receives $31m disaster aid deal and Uzbek food shipment ahead of Eid

Afghanistan receives $31m disaster aid deal and Uzbek food shipment ahead of Eid
Officials from Afghanistan’s Disaster Management and Preparedness Agency and the Aga Khan Foundation sign a cooperation agreement in Kabul, Afghanistan, 25 May 2026.
Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority - ANDMA

Afghanistan has received a new $31.34 million disaster preparedness package and 320 tonnes of food aid from Uzbekistan ahead of Eid al-Adha.

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between Afghanistan’s Disaster Management and Preparedness Agency and the Aga Khan Foundation, according to a statement from the agency.

The agreement, valued at $31,334,320, will cover 80 districts across 11 provinces, including Kabul, Parwan, Maidan Wardak, Ghazni, Logar, Herat, Kunduz, Takhar, Badakhshan, Kunar and Nuristan.

The agency said the programme will include disaster management teams, rapid response units, public awareness campaigns, early warning systems and the stockpiling of emergency supplies.

Nooruddin Turabi, head of the Disaster Management and Preparedness Agency, thanked the Aga Khan Foundation for its cooperation.

The agency said Turabi told the meeting that, “in addition to humanitarian assistance through existing programmes, the agency’s focus is largely on implementing infrastructure and preventive projects and equipping necessary sectors to reduce the level of vulnerability of people against natural disasters.”

The Aga Khan Agency for Habitat also said it would continue its work in coordination with the agency.

It said, “one of the foundational principles of this foundation is rapid response during disasters and full preparedness against emergency situations.”

Uzbekistan sends Eid food aid to Balkh

In a separate aid delivery, the media office of the Balkh Governor’s Office said Uzbekistan handed 320 tonnes of humanitarian assistance to local authorities at Hairatan Port on Monday.

The shipment included 96 tonnes of flour, 22 tonnes of rice, 10,000 cans of beef, 15,000 litres of sunflower oil, 22 tonnes of macaroni, 22 tonnes of sugar, 22 tonnes of chickpeas and biscuits.

The statement said, “On the occasion of the blessed Eid al-Adha, a 320-ton shipment of humanitarian aid from the Republic of Uzbekistan was handed over to the local authorities of Balkh Province at the Hairatan Port.”

The ceremony was attended by Noor-ul-Hadi Abu Idris, Deputy Governor of Balkh, Ismatulla Irgashev, Special Representative of the President of Uzbekistan for Afghanistan, and Ulugbek Qosimov, Governor of Uzbekistan’s Surxondaryo region.

According to the Balkh Governor’s Office, Irgashev said the aid was sent under the directive of Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

Humanitarian needs remain severe

The announcements come as Afghanistan continues to face major humanitarian challenges.

The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says 21.9 million people in Afghanistan are projected to require humanitarian assistance in 2026, while 17.4 million are expected to face acute food insecurity.

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