Saudi charity launches food aid program for Afghan returnees in Herat, plans national expansion

The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSRelief) has launched a large-scale emergency food aid initiative for Afghan families recently repatriated from Iran, beginning in the western province of Herat.

The campaign, which started earlier this week, aims to provide immediate assistance to thousands of vulnerable families grappling with displacement and economic hardship.

According to Abdulrahman Al-Fadhli, KSRelief’s field coordinator in Afghanistan, 500 families are receiving food packages daily in Herat, and a total of 5,000 families are expected to benefit in the province during the first phase.

He added that the initiative targets Afghan returnees who have arrived with little or no possessions and are facing acute humanitarian needs.

This effort is focused on the most urgent cases—families that have just crossed the border from Iran and are in desperate need of food and basic supplies, Al-Fadhli said adding that the broader plan is to scale up distribution nationwide, covering all 34 provinces and reaching approximately 60,000 families in total.

Local officials in Herat have welcomed the aid but warned that needs continue to outpace available resources. Adam Khan Saed, head of Herat’s Department of Refugees and Repatriation, said that many returnee families arrive in dire conditions—often having lost their homes, savings, and possessions during forced or voluntary returns from Iran.

Many returnees arrive with nothing but the clothes on their backs, Saed said adding that they need immediate support—food, shelter, and medical care. He said without outside assistance, they simply cannot survive.

Several families interviewed at distribution sites in Herat echoed those concerns, recounting difficult journeys back into Afghanistan after years of living in Iran. Some said they were deported abruptly, while others returned voluntarily due to increasing hardship, discrimination, or fear of crackdowns on undocumented migrants in Iran.

“We lost everything,” said Ahmadullah, a father of four who returned last week. “We had no choice but to come back, but here we have no home, no income. This food package will help us for a few days—but what comes next?”

The aid effort comes amid a surge in returns from Iran and Pakistan, where Afghan migrants—many without legal status—have faced growing pressure to leave. Since late 2023, Iran has accelerated deportations, and many Afghans are leaving voluntarily amid inflation, job losses, and fears of tighter border controls.

The Saudi-led initiative in Herat is part of KSRelief’s expanding humanitarian engagement in Afghanistan, where the center has funded food security, healthcare, and education projects in recent years.

Saudi Arabia has positioned KSRelief as a leading regional donor to Afghanistan since the Islamic Emirate’s return to power in 2021, often coordinating with UN agencies and other humanitarian partners.

This latest program marks the first officially organized distribution for Afghan returnees from Iran under KSRelief’s 2025 strategy, and officials hinted that additional rounds of assistance could follow if funding is sustained.

“This is just the beginning,” said Al-Fadhli. “We recognize the scale of the crisis and are working with Afghan authorities and other humanitarian actors to respond swiftly and effectively.”

Authorities in Herat say they are already in talks with KSRelief and other partners to expand aid to remote districts and to help returnees reintegrate through shelter programs, vocational training, and access to schools for children.

As the number of returnees continues to grow, aid workers warn that without sustained and coordinated international assistance, provinces like Herat could face a deepening humanitarian emergency in the months ahead.