World Food Programme Fighting Hunger Worldwide

This convoy travelled from Bamyan to Barkar, a district in Daikundi province of central Afghanistan in early August 2012. The 18 trucks were on the road for 5 days, carrying a cargo of 150 Mt of High Energy Biscuits destined for school meal programmes in Daikundi.

On the route, the convoy had to cross the Helmand River, which originates in central Afghanistan but takes its name from the southern province of Helmand it crosses, one of the most insecure areas of Afghanistan.

“In the winter, it’s impossible to cross the river because the water level is very high and it’s freezing cold. In the summer, it’s still a dangerous crossing since there are big stones in the river,” said Hukomat.

One of the trucks hit a stone during this mission, damaging the radiator and causing water to come into the vehicle. On the positive side, the river provides a welcome break for the drivers, since it’s about 38 degrees and the trucks have no air conditioning.

“The roads in these remote districts are not built for big heavy trucks like ours… the mountain roads are just too narrow and the corners too tight,” says Hukomat. 
 

Eventually, the road squeezed to just a few metres across and the corners became too tight even for these veteran drivers. They were forced to offload the food onto pickup trucks and vans, which carried the food the rest of the way to the town of Charsadkhana.