Pakistan sends first consignment of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan
Dec 31, 2021
Islamabad [Pakistan], December 31 : The first consignment of 1,800 metric tons of wheat as humanitarian assistance from Pakistan has crossed over to Afghanistan, announced the Pakistani foreign affairs ministry.
The consignment is a part of a humanitarian package worth Pakistani Rs 5 billion announced by the country's Prime Minister Imran Khan, Geo News reported.
The package includes 50,000 metric tons of wheat, winter shelters, and emergency medical supplies.
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Shehzad Arbab handed the first consignment to the Afghan side.
Afghanistan is witnessing the worst humanitarian crisis. The crisis has deepened since the Taliban took control of the country.
To avoid giving the Taliban access to Afghanistan's reserves, Washington froze an estimated $10 billion held by the central bank abroad in August.
A combination of a suspension of foreign aid, the freezing of Afghan government assets, and international sanctions on the Taliban, have plunged a country already suffering from high poverty levels into a full-blown economic crisis, Amnesty International said in a statement.
Around 22.8 million people are facing acute food insecurity and hunger, while the World Food Programme estimates that at least a million children are already suffering from acute malnutrition. According to the UN, more than USD 200 million of humanitarian aid a month is needed to avert disaster.
