KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The World Food Programme (WFP) says that due to the closure of the Afghanistan–Pakistan border and the Strait of Hormuz, 400 metric tons of fortified biscuits have arrived in Afghanistan after traveling 15,000 kilometers and passing through nine countries.
Corinne Fleischer, Director of Supply Chain and Delivery at the World Food Programme, said in a message today (Saturday, June 6) that the shipment was initially transported by sea from Indonesia to Pakistan and was supposed to reach Afghanistan by land. However, the Afghanistan–Pakistan border was closed.
According to her, the shipment was then moved from Pakistan to Jebel Ali Port in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, so that it could be transported by sea to Iran and from there to Afghanistan. However, that route was also blocked following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Ms. Fleischer added that the World Food Programme was forced to find another land route, which ultimately passed through nine countries.
According to her, the fortified biscuits were eventually transported to Afghanistan through the Torghundi border crossing after passing through Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria, Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Turkmenistan.
Fleischer added that the biscuits are expected to be distributed to 172,000 schoolchildren in Afghanistan.
The World Food Programme says that the route for delivering aid to Afghanistan has become longer and more difficult.
The agency stated that hunger does not wait for routes to reopen.
Meanwhile, the World Food Programme warned in a recent report that an additional 2.3 million people in Afghanistan could face food insecurity if border closures with Pakistan persist and the Middle East crisis continues to disrupt regional trade and energy markets.
The agency said that around 13.8 million people in the country are already experiencing food insecurity and cautioned that trade disruptions, rising inflation, and funding shortfalls could further worsen humanitarian conditions.
WFP also noted that Afghanistan’s heavy reliance on cross-border trade routes for essential imports has made it particularly vulnerable to repeated border closures, which have increased transportation costs and disrupted supply chains.
Pakistan closed major crossings, including Torkham and Chaman, in late 2025 after a series of border clashes with the Taliban and disputes over the activities of militant groups such as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which Islamabad says operate from Afghan territory. Further fighting along the frontier in early 2026 continued to disrupt trade and transport between the two countries.
The WFP said the situation is being aggravated by the Middle East conflict, which, since late February, has disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for global oil, gas, and fertilizer exports. The disruption has driven up fuel costs and increased the price of transporting and producing food worldwide.
Afghanistan depends on Iran for roughly 60% of its exports and 50% of its imports. With Pakistan’s border closed and Hormuz routes disrupted, WFP’s external transport costs in Afghanistan have surged 2.5 to 5 times, while delivery times have stretched from 10 days to as long as 75 days using alternative corridors.
The World Food Programme has emphasized that Afghanistan’s humanitarian situation is becoming increasingly fragile as regional conflicts and trade disruptions place additional pressure on food supply chains.
The agency warns that prolonged border closures and instability in the Middle East could significantly increase transportation costs, delay the delivery of humanitarian assistance, and further deepen food insecurity for millions of vulnerable Afghans who already depend on aid to meet their basic needs.
