September 09, 2021
The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) stated on Tuesday that Afghanistan is facing the collapse of basic services and food and other aid is about to run out. OCHA spokesperson Jens Laerke told a U.N. briefing in Geneva that millions of Afghans were in a dire need of food aid and health assistance, and urged donors to give more for the country in turmoil.
In this regard, the Chinese foreign ministry announced on Wednesday that China will provide almost $31 million worth of food, winter weather supplies, vaccines, and medicine to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.
The spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Hua Chunyin, said the decision was declared during the first meeting of the foreign ministers of Afghanistan’s neighboring countries and would be “for emergency use to the Afghan people.”
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi also announced that China will donate 3 million vaccine doses to Afghanistan in the first batch. However, it is not clear when the vaccines are scheduled to be delivered.
Chinese leaders have repeatedly said that China would share its coronavirus vaccines with the world, especially with lower income countries, and officials had previously promised Afghanistan would be among several in line for priority access, and the decision looks like China is adamant to keep the promises it made.
Speaking at the foreign minister’s meeting in Beijing via video link, Wang also emphasized the United States and its allies were more obligated than any other country to provide economic and humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people.
Pakistan has also announced that it is urgently dispatching 3 C-130s carrying humanitarian assistance (food & medicines) to Afghanistan. Pakistan has assured that further humanitarian supplies would continue through land routes. Another important step taken by Pakistan to assist Afghanistan in these testing times is the continuation of bilateral and transit trade, so market activity keeps going on in the country amid the uncertainty. Pakistan also urged the global community to play its role in helping Afghans avert possible humanitarian crisis.
