Amidst intense fear and uncertainty in Afghanistan, thousands of Afghan families, particularly women and children, are fleeing each day. Many are seeking refuge in Iran.

“The number of people crossing the border into Iran is rising to up to 5,000 a day,” says Relief International’s Global Humanitarian Director Azadeh Hasani. 

“The most active border crossing is in Sistan and Baluchistan. They are arriving with very little; they are hungry, they are exhausted.”

Relief International is distributing 15,000 food baskets to hundreds of families and individuals in the area. The emergency baskets include high energy biscuits, cereal, oil, sugar, dried dates, salt, canned tuna fish, vitamin-mineral supplement, tea and milk powder. Each basket contains a minimum ration of 2,100k/calories per person, as per the recommendation from the World Food Programme.

Azadeh continues: “We are urgently working to provide support to newly displaced Afghan’s in Iran over the coming months. Our focus, in addition to providing food, hygiene and cooking items, is to set up shelters, a health centre, and water, sanitation and hygiene facilities to make sure there are basic services for the more new refugees to use.”

Relief International has supported Afghans in Iran since 2008 providing healthcare, education, and many other services.