KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The European Union has contributed €4 million ($4.6 million) to the United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) to maintain flights that deliver life-saving aid and transport relief workers to Afghanistan’s most remote areas.
The World Food Programme (WFP), which manages UNHAS, welcomed the funding in a statement on Tuesday. It said the contribution would help maintain the air service as a “critical lifeline,” providing safe transport for humanitarian workers and delivering essential relief supplies to areas often inaccessible by road.
François Goemans, head of the EU’s humanitarian aid office in Afghanistan, said UNHAS plays a vital role in sustaining relief efforts. “Ensuring the safe transport of humanitarian personnel from UN agencies, NGOs and partners, as well as delivering life-saving cargo to remote areas, is essential, and UNHAS plays a critical role in making this possible,” he said. “We remain committed to supporting the most vulnerable communities across Afghanistan.”
WFP’s country director in Afghanistan, John Aylieff, described the air service as a lifeline. “Behind every UNHAS flight is a story of hope – of aid delivered, lives saved, and communities connected to the support they urgently need,” he said.
According to WFP, more than 100 humanitarian organizations, UN agencies and diplomatic missions currently rely on UNHAS to operate in Afghanistan. Since January this year, the service has conducted over 1,600 flights to 20 destinations, including 18 within Afghanistan and two international routes, allowing for the movement of both personnel and supplies.
The EU is among the largest donors to humanitarian operations in Afghanistan. Since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, it has contributed more than €290 million to WFP’s activities in the country, making it one of the agency’s top five supporters. This includes funding for emergency food aid, nutrition programs and school feeding projects, alongside support for air operations.
WFP has previously warned that UNHAS operations in Afghanistan were at risk of suspension earlier this year due to severe funding shortages. The new EU contribution, officials say, will help secure continuity at a time when millions of Afghans are in urgent need of assistance amid ongoing economic hardship, recurring natural disasters, the return of large numbers of refugees from neighboring countries, and limited international engagement with the Taliban authorities.
