Humanitarian Assistance Reaches One of Afghanistan’s Most Remote Districts.

People waiting in line at a humanitarian distribution point in Farsi District.


 Last month, Sin Haeng Humanitarian Foundation concluded a vital winterisation distribution in one of Herat’s most remote and underserved districts. Besides providing warmth, this humanitarian effort in the Farsi District, supported by the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund, also restored dignity and reconnected those who have been long cut off.

Nestled deep within forested mountains, about 230 kilometres from Herat city, Farsi District is home to communities that face long-standing isolation, ongoing poverty, and harsh winters. For many residents, the cold season is not just uncomfortable but life-threatening.

Blocked Roads and Bitter Cold

Farsi’s harsh winters and lack of essential infrastructure have claimed countless lives over the years, including pregnant women, newborns and the elderly. The unpaved and treacherous roads connecting the district to Herat become impassable during snowfall or heavy rains, leaving entire villages cut off from food, medicine and emergency support.

Against this stark backdrop, Sin-Haeng Foundation’s winterisation team launched a project that did more than offer material relief; it delivered a renewed sense of dignity, hope, and human connection to communities that often feel forgotten.

Reaching Thousands with Cash and Blankets

Sin-Haeng Foundation successfully assisted 1,030 families (a total of 7,777 individuals) across 27 villages. The intervention prioritised those living in the most precarious conditions: widows and female-headed households, people with disabilities, the chronically ill, and those impacted by extreme poverty or natural disasters. Over 25 per cent of the families reached were headed by women.

Each household received a cash grant of 18,826 Afghanis (approximately USD 264), allowing them to purchase heating fuel, warm clothing, or other seasonal necessities. In addition, every family was given five blankets, totalling 5,150 blankets distributed throughout the area.

Collaboration and Trust

What distinguished this project was not only its capacity to navigate the region’s rugged terrain but also its implementation, conducted in full collaboration with local leaders, government officials, religious figures, and civil society actors.

Every stage, from identifying beneficiaries to final delivery, was carried out with transparency and community involvement. This approach not only guaranteed that assistance reached those most in need but also helped strengthen the bond between humanitarian actors and the communities they serve.

Local elders and officials described the operation as timely and life-saving, praising the integrity of the distribution and the inclusivity of the selection process. For many, this was the first time they felt genuinely seen and supported during the most difficult time of the year.

Just in Time

One elderly woman from Safidan said, ‘Each winter I would wrap my grandchildren in old rags to protect them from the cold, and this year, for the first time in many winters, they will sleep warm’.

Another widow shared her experience: ‘I was preparing to sell my only goat to buy fuel, until the cash assistance arrived just in time’.

Community members also spoke candidly about the dangers of the route from Farsi to Herat, particularly during the snow season. With roads blocked and mobility cut off, even survival essentials become unreachable. Many said the assistance didn’t just meet their practical needs, it gave them a sense that someone, somewhere, cared.

‘Silently Sympathising with Gaza Isn’t Enough. We Must Speak out!’

 The world knows that an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding in Gaza. More than 1.7 million people have been displaced, and 91% of the population is experiencing acute food insecurity. The desperation grows by the day.

A man in a bombed street in Gaza. Image: FMT/CC BY 4.0

Sin-Haeng Foundation is providing emergency relief in Gaza with partners such as Caritas Jerusalem and DanChurchAid (DCA). These organisations have dozens of staff in the heart of the conflict zone, distributing food and water, providing medical aid, and offering psychological support, under appalling conditions.

We spoke with our humanitarian expert, Laurens den Dulk, who collaborates closely with colleagues on the ground, about the harrowing situation and the moral duty to speak out.

Food Shortages

‘Over the past three months, virtually no food has entered Gaza,’ says Den Dulk. ‘There were still some reserves in warehouses, which were distributed among aid organisations. But as the scarcity worsened, rations had to be halved or were distributed less frequently. It has become a matter of survival.’

Recently, a new aid initiative—the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, established by Israel and the US—has begun allowing small numbers of trucks into the area. ‘But the volume is far too low,’ Den Dulk states. ‘What’s more, it’s completely unclear what exactly is coming in, who is distributing it, and under what conditions. This violates international humanitarian law, which dictates that emergency aid must be provided unconditionally and independently.’

A mine awareness raising session for children organised by one of Sin-Haeng’s partners in a refugee camp in northern Gaza. Photograph: DCA/NCA

A Climate of Fear

According to Den Dulk, a fearful atmosphere hangs over local partner organisations in the region. ‘There is a very real concern that Gaza might soon cease to exist altogether. That the entire population will be driven out. That means we would be witnessing an ethnic cleansing of two million people. There are rumours that Egypt is preparing to take in hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in the Sinai Desert. Other reports suggest deportations to Saudi Arabia or Jordan. But the idea that Gaza could vanish is so grotesque that people can hardly imagine how one would even begin to prepare for it.’

The Silent Majority

As this unfolds before the world’s eyes, Den Dulk is struck by the relative silence in the Netherlands. ‘Yes, there have been demonstrations, and some organisations have spoken out. But there’s still a silent majority. People are afraid to take sides, fearing they will be drawn into a political debate. But this shouldn’t be about politics—it should be about humanity.’

Even aid organisations are grappling with this issue. Nevertheless, Den Dulk urges everyone to speak up. ‘It’s not enough to sympathise in silence. Speak out! Not necessarily in support of one side or against another, but against what is happening here: the deliberate starvation of a population, the shooting of crowds trying to reach aid convoys, the wilful denial of human suffering.

Laurens Den Dulk (left) during a meeting with Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the patriarch of the Roman Catholic Church in Jerusalem. Photo: Mickael Franci/Sin Haeng

‘International humanitarian law was created precisely to prevent situations like this. If starving people at a food distribution point are being shot, or if aid workers are killed, humanitarian law is failing.’

A ‘man-made’ crisis

This is not an ‘ordinary’ humanitarian crisis, says Den Dulk, who has witnessed many during his years as an experienced coordinator of emergency relief projects. ‘This crisis is man-made. If the borders were opened tomorrow, the famine would end. It’s that horrifyingly simple. The only correct response is: this must not be allowed. We must continually remind ourselves of this important principle. Again and again.’