New Delhi: India has sent a team to Kabul to oversee the delivery operations of the country’s humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan and hold discussions with the Taliban over the aid provided by New Delhi.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in a release said a team led by Joint Secretary (PAI) is currently on a visit to Kabul to oversee the delivery operations of our humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, ANI reported.
This is the first such visit by the Indian government officials to Kabul since the Taliban’s takeover.
India’s development and humanitarian assistance have, as per the news agency, received widespread appreciation across the entire spectrum of the Afghan society.
The Indian team will in this connection meet the senior members of the Taliban and hold discussions on humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan.
The team will during the visit meet representatives of the International Organizations involved in the distribution of humanitarian assistance.
The team is in addition expected to visit various places where the Indian programs and projects are being implemented.
It may be recalled that India has in response to the humanitarian needs decided to extend humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan.
“In this endeavor, we have already dispatched several shipments of humanitarian assistance consisting of 20,000 MTs of wheat, 13 tons of medicines, 500,000 doses of COVID Vaccine and winter clothing. These consignments were handed over to the India Gandhi Children Hospital, Kabul and UN specialized agencies including WHO and WFP,” the MEA said.
Moreover, India is in the process of shipping more medical assistance and foodgrains to Afghanistan.
“In continuation with our developmental partnership with Afghan brethren, we have gifted one million doses of India-made COVAXIN to Iran to administer to Afghan refugees in Iran. We have also assisted UNICEF by supplying almost 60 million doses of polio vaccine and two tons of essential medicines,” the MEA added.
The MEA further said that India has historical and civilizational ties with the Afghan people and these longstanding linkages will continue to guide New Delhi’s approach.