The Bayat Foundation has continued its annual Ramadan assistance campaign by distributing food packages to dozens of vulnerable families in western Farah province, as part of its broader humanitarian outreach across Afghanistan.

The initiative aims to support families facing acute poverty and economic hardship during the holy month of Ramadan — a time traditionally marked by charity, compassion, and community solidarity.

Each aid package includes essential food staples such as flour, rice, and cooking oil, providing critical support to households struggling to meet their daily needs.

Friadoon Abdullah, the Bayat Foundation’s representative in Farah, said the assistance followed a detailed assessment process.

“Bayat Foundation’s survey team had previously identified needy families across various districts and villages of Farah province,” Abdullah said. “Today, these food packages, which include flour, rice, and oil, are being distributed to those most in need.”

Established in 2006 by Afghan-American entrepreneur Dr Ehsanullah Bayat, the Bayat Foundation is one of Afghanistan’s largest private charitable organizations.

Over the past two decades, it has delivered emergency relief, healthcare services, educational support, and seasonal assistance programs throughout the country.

Its annual Ramadan campaign is among its most significant initiatives, reaching thousands of families each year.

Beneficiaries in Farah expressed appreciation for the timely support.

“Thanks to the Bayat Foundation for providing this aid to needy people in Farah province during the blessed month of Ramadan,” one recipient said.

Another added, “We are grateful to the Bayat Charity Foundation for assisting us during Ramadan.”

Foundation officials say the Ramadan aid campaign will continue through the end of the holy month, with distributions planned in Kabul and several other provinces as part of its nationwide relief effort.

Sources report that following an earthquake in Fayzabad, the capital of Badakhshan province, two workers who were collecting sand in the Jowzgun Valley, first district of the province, were injured due to a landslide.

According to sources, the two workers were transferred to the provincial hospital after the incident and are receiving medical care.

The earthquake, which occurred on Wednesday afternoon was also felt in Kabul and Nangarhar provinces.

However, the U.S. Geological Survey has not yet released information regarding the magnitude, depth, or epicenter of this earthquake.

Last Friday, a 5.8-magnitude earthquake also shook northeastern Afghanistan.

Two Afghan women were killed and three others seriously injured when Pakistani security forces reportedly opened fire on a vehicle carrying Afghan migrants in Pakistan’s southwestern province of Balochistan.

According to local sources, the bodies of the victims and the wounded were taken to a nearby hospital, while several other Afghan nationals were detained following the incident.

Details surrounding the circumstances of the shooting remain unclear.

The violence comes amid mounting concern over the growing returnee crisis.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has warned that mass returns are worsening an already fragile humanitarian situation in Afghanistan.

In a newly released report, UNAMA said nearly five million Afghans — roughly 10 percent of the country’s population — have returned over the past two years, largely driven by forced deportations and stricter migration policies in neighboring countries, particularly Iran and Pakistan.

The report states that in 2025 alone, approximately 2.78 million Afghans returned home, including 1.88 million from Iran and 899,000 from Pakistan. Nearly one-third of the returnees are women and girls.

At the height of the influx, daily arrivals from Iran reached between 30,000 and 40,000 people, placing severe strain on border registration systems, transport networks, and basic services.

UNAMA stressed the urgent need for expanded shelter, food assistance, livelihood opportunities, and long-term reintegration programs. It warned that without sustained international support, returnees — particularly women, girls, and children, including unaccompanied minors — could face heightened vulnerability and increased risk of social instability.