Kurram District Faces Crisis Amid Skyrocketing Costs and Trade Route Blockades

Residents of Kurram district are struggling with soaring prices for basic necessities due to prolonged trade route closures and tribal violence. Despite some government intervention, essential items remain unaffordable. A peace agreement has partially lifted blockades, but locals demand long-term solutions to ensure access to vital goods.

The people of Kurram district are caught in a desperate struggle against escalating costs for essential goods, as ongoing tribal violence and blocked trade routes exacerbate the situation. Geo News reports that basic food items prices have reached unprecedented levels, posing severe challenges for the local population.

According to reports, tomatoes and cauliflower are selling at PKR 500 per kilogram, while the costs of green chilies, sugar, and tea have soared to PKR 800, PKR 200, and PKR 2,200 per kilogram, respectively. The closure of trade routes for more than 100 days, a consequence of tribal violence that erupted in November 2024, has led to a dire scarcity of food, medicine, and fuel.

Residents have made urgent pleas for government intervention. One resident proposed the dispatch of a convoy with 500 trucks loaded with relief supplies. Although the government has sent some aid, activists argue that only 25 trucks reached the area after a week, illustrating the inefficiency of the response. They also call for the resumption of helicopter services to transport critically ill patients to better-equipped medical facilities. Local appeals continue for a sustainable resolution to the crisis.

(With inputs from agencies.)