Special relationship: India delivers 13th batch of medical aid for Afghan people

The consignment of medicines, vaccines and medical equipment for the people of in Afghanistan was handed over to authorities of the Indira Gandhi Children’s Hospital, Kabul

NEW DELHI: India has supplied the 13th batch of medical assistance, consisting of essential medicines and medical and surgical items, to Afghanistan, the external affairs ministry said on Tuesday.

Farid Mamundzay, the ambassador to India appointed by the former Ashraf Ghani government, tweeted a thank you note to India, saying the consignment will help alleviate the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. (Twitter/FMamundzaya t)

The aid was provided in continuation of India’s “special relationship with the people of Afghanistan and in view of the urgent appeals made by the United Nations to assist the Afghan people”, the ministry said.

The consignment included essential medicines, paediatric stethoscopes, mobile sphygmomanometers with paediatric blood pressure cuff, infusion pumps, drip chamber sets and nylon sutures. The supplies were handed over to authorities of the Indira Gandhi Children’s Hospital in Kabul.

India has so far supplied almost 45 tonnes of medical assistance to Afghanistan, including life-saving and anti-TB medicines, 500,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccines, and surgical items. In addition, India has also supplied 40,000 tonnes of wheat for the Afghan people via the Attari-Wagah land border crossing.

Last year, India pledged to supply 50,000 tonnes of wheat to Afghanistan but the movement of the grains has been hampered due to conditions imposed by the Pakistani side.

Farid Mamundzay, the ambassador to India appointed by the former Ashraf Ghani government, thanked the Indian government for the assistance.

“I greatly appreciate #India’s timely & generous response to help alleviate the ongoing humanitarian crisis in #Afghanistan by supplying 45 tons of medical assistance, including essential life saving medicines, 500,000 doses of COVID vaccine, together with 40,000 MTs of wheat,” Mamundzay said in a tweet.

India has not recognised the Taliban setup in Afghanistan though it recently re-established a diplomatic presence in Kabul by deploying a technical team at its embassy.