New Delhi, Feb 22 India will send 50,000 metric tonnes of wheat to Afghanistan following an appeal made by the United Nations for humanitarian assistance to the war-torn country.
According to the Ministry of External Affair, the supply will be effected by the Food Corporation of India (FCI) and transported from Attari (India) to Jalalabad (Afghanistan) by Afghan transporters.
In a ceremony held at Amritsar on Tuesday in the presence of the Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, Afghan Ambassador Farid Mamundzay and World Food Program Country Director Bishaw Parajuli flagged off the first convoy of 50 trucks carrying 2,500 MT of wheat to Afghanistan via Pakistan.
Shringla said that the consignment will go from the Attari Integrated Check-Post (ICP) to Jalalabad via Pakistan and many such consignments will be sent to fulfil humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan in the next two to three months.
The MEA in an official statement said that the wheat assistance will be delivered in multiple consignments and will be handed over to the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) in Jalalabad.
In this regard, the government of India signed an agreement with the WFP for the distribution of 50,000 MT of wheat within Afghanistan.
"India remains committed to its special relationship with the people of Afghanistan. As part of this endeavour, India has already supplied 500,000 doses of Covaxin, 13 tonnes of essential lifesaving medicines and 500 units of winter clothing.
These consignments were handed over to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Indira Gandhi Hospital in Kabul," the MEA said in the statement.
On January 29, India had supplied the fourth batch of medical assistance consisting of 3 tonnes of essential life-saving medicines to Afghanistan as part of India's efforts to provide critical humanitarian assistance to the war-torn country.
The consignment was handed over to the Indira Gandhi Hospital in Kabul.
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