Afghan charity organization, Bayat Foundation, has started distributing food aid to hundreds of people in southern Kandahar province.

Haji Mohammad Ismail, Deputy Chairman of the Bayat Foundation, said the organization has started donating food supplies to desperate families during the current economic crisis in Afghanistan.

He said the food packages – which include cooking oil, flour, and rice – were distributed to dozens of vulnerable families.

“We began Bayat Foundation’s donation drive today. We started it in the Kandahar zone and will distribute [further aid] to four other zones. We started with distributions to the most vulnerable families,” Haji Mohammad Ismail said.

He emphasized that this was only the start and that desperate families in other areas in the country would also receive food parcels.

Attaullah Sahil, Head of Afghan Wireless Communication Company (AWCC) in Kandahar, stated: “We got lists (of vulnerable families) from everywhere, you can see that we assessed [families] in Shah Wali Kot, Arghandab, Zhari, Kajaki even Khas Uruzgan (districts).”

Thanking the Bayat Foundation for its generosity, recipients called on other charity organizations to step in to help vulnerable people.

Zeba Gul, a Kandahar resident who welcomed Bayat Foundation’s aid, said: “People are in a very bad situation. I have children, their father is dead. Everyday I look for food to feed them and today I found (food). May Allah bless all Muslims who have provided this aid.”

The Bayat Foundation started helping needy families months ago and the organization plans to distribute aid to as many vulnerable people in other provinces as it can.