Islamabad: Pakistan has donated almost 300 tonnes of critical food supplies to Afghanistan to address the impending humanitarian crisis in the neighbouring country.
The 17 containers laden with food items were sent on Sunday to different cities of Afghanistan via the Torkham land border crossing as part of Pakistan’s large scale humanitarian relief efforts.
The aid convoy of 17 trucks included 300 tonnes edible items including 65 tonnes sugar, three tonnes pulses, 190 tonnes flour, 11 tonnes cooking oil and 31 tonnes of rice. Pakistan is also supplying additional items such as blankets and tents before winter sets in.
Pak-Afghan Cooperation Forum (PACF) led the initiative on behalf of the Pakistan government. PACF chairman Habibullah Khan along with other Pakistan embassy officials handed over the loaded containers to Afghanistan’s ministry of industries and private sectors head Maulvi Mubariz.
Habibullah Khan said that the goodwill gesture from Pakistan was made at a time when the war-stricken and impoverished people of Afghanistan needed it most amid dwindling food supplies as almost all the international aid agencies suspended their activities in Afghanistan.
“We aim not only to provide immediate humanitarian assistance in form of food, medicine, shelter to the people of Afghanistan but extend all support that helps in rebuilding Afghanistan,” he said. Khan said that the 40 years long war in Afghanistan devastated the economy, agriculture and administrative infrastructure of the country and the sudden withdrawal of international aid agencies put the entire population at risk.
He appealed to philanthropists and charity organizations in Pakistan and across the world to come forward and help Afghans through generous donations to avert the humanitarian crisis.
Pakistan is at the forefront to provide relief assistance to the people of Afghanistan. Pakistan earlier dispatched four C-130 aircraft to deliver essential food and media supplies to Kabul, Kandahar, Khost and Mazar-i-Sharif.
