India ships  5000-tonne wheat consignment to Covid-hit Afghanistan

As part of the move to strengthen the bilateral relations between the two countries India has shipped the first consignment of 5,022 metric tonnes (MT) of wheat to Afghanistan and it is reported that the country plans to ship more in the coming days. The shipment sailed from Kandla to Chabahar port as of April 11 carrying a portion of the total 75,000 MT supplement of wheat, the Indian embassy in Afghanistan confirmed.

According to reports, the embassy of Afghanistan released a statement saying, “This humanitarian gesture of Indian people to our Afghan brethren will ensure food security during difficult times of COVID-19 pandemic.India is gifting 500,000 tablets of HydroxyChloroquine to AFG for health professionals and COVID-19 positive cases.”

(1/2) 251 containers carrying 1st consignment of 5,022 MT of wheat out of total gift of 75,000 MT from India to Afghanistan set sail from Kandla Port to Chabahar Port today. The remaining consignments will follow in the weeks ahead. @MEAIndia @vkumar1969 pic.twitter.com/kDBGRSJ4jb

— India in Afghanistan (@IndianEmbKabul) April 12, 2020

India’s move  came amidst the rising apprehension that Afghanistan might fail to cope up with the coronavirus outbreak and the problem of malnutrition may hit the country.Afghan Health Minister, Ferozuddin Feroz, had earlier expressed that  the country’s health care system might fail to give treatment in a situation where  80 percent of the population got infected. It is feared that at least 1,10,000 people in Afghanistan may be infected by the deadly COVID-19 disease. Currently taking the tally in to 18 deaths, Afghanistan has now 607 confirmed infected cases.

(2/2) This humanitarian gesture of Indian people to our Afghan brethren will ensure food security during difficult times of COVID-19 pandemic. India is gifting 500,000 tablets of HydroxyChloroquine to AFG for health professionals and COVID-19 positive cases.@MEAIndia @vkumar1969 pic.twitter.com/Ajjdjxk1Gm

— India in Afghanistan (@IndianEmbKabul) April 12, 2020