New Delhi: Foreign Secretary of India, Harsh V Shringla flagged off the first consignment of humanitarian aid of 50,000 tonnes of wheat to Afghanistan on Tuesday, in the presence of Afghanistan’s Ambassador to India, Farid Mamundzay. In a ceremony held at Amritsar, Shringla along with Afghan Ambassador Farid Mamundzay and World Food Program Country Director Bishaw Parajuli flagged off the first convoy of 50 trucks carrying 2500 MT of wheat assistance from India to Afghanistan via Pakistan.
‘We are extending our humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, in the form of 50,000 tonnes of wheat. We are flagging off our first consignment of 2,500 tonnes in 50 Afghan trucks, today. It’ll be delivered to the World Food Program for dissemination’, Shringla said. ‘This consignment will go from Attari ICP, Jalalabad, via Pakistan; many such consignments will be sent to fulfill the humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan in the next 2 to 3 months’, he added.
In response to appeals made by the United Nations for humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, the Government of India has decided to gift 50,000 MT of wheat to the people of Afghanistan. The Government of India signed an agreement with the WFP for the distribution of 50,000 MT of wheat within Afghanistan. The supply will be effected by the Food Corporation of India (FCI) and transported from ICP Attari (India) to Jalalabad (Afghanistan) by Afghan transporters. The shipment is part of the commitment made by the Government of India to supply 50,000 MT of wheat for the people of Afghanistan.
#WATCH | Foreign Secretary of India, Harsh V Shringla, flags off the first consignment of humanitarian aid of 50,000 tonnes of wheat to Afghanistan, in the presence of Afghanistan’s Ambassador to India, Farid Mamundzay pic.twitter.com/X1Tej9lyuj
— ANI (@ANI) February 22, 2022
The wheat assistance will be delivered in multiple consignments and will be handed over to the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) in Jalalabad, Afghanistan. In this regard, the Government of India signed an agreement with the WFP for the distribution of 50,000 MT of wheat within Afghanistan, the Ministry of External Affairs release read. India remains committed to its special relationship with the people of Afghanistan. In this endeavor, India has already supplied 500,000 doses of COVAXIN, 13 tons of essential lifesaving medicines and 500 units of winter clothing. These consignments were handed over to the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Indira Gandhi Hospital, Kabul, the release added.
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In response to the humanitarian aid sent to the Afghan people, Afghanistan’s Ambassador to India, Farid Mamundzay thanked the Indian government. ‘I want to thank the Government of India. India has always come forward to help Afghanistan. Friendly relations between India and Afghanistan have a long history. Afghanistan has also stood by India whenever it is needed’, Mamundzay said. ‘As per WFP 20 million people require food in Afghanistan and India being a big brother is helping us through food aids and we are thankful for that’, Mamundzay added. He said that 50,000 metric tonnes of wheat will be delivered in a month to the country and will be distributed to Afghan people facing food scarcity.
‘We (Afghanistan) were in great need of food grains in November and December but Pakistan took a long time to allow the use of its roads/roads which we are saddened. India has given medicine to Afghanistan and even the Corona vaccine has helped Afghanistan in its fight against the pandemic’, talking about the delay, the Afghanistan Ambassador said.
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