KABUL, Apr 9 (NNN-XINHUA) – A fifth batch of food aid from China has been distributed yesterday in Afghanistan, amid a humanitarian crisis in the war-torn country, which is suffering from an economic meltdown.
A distribution ceremony was held in the Afghan capital, Kabul, attended by Afghan acting deputy minister of refugees and repatriation affairs, of the caretaker government, Arsala Kharoti, and Economic and Commercial Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in Afghanistan, Hu Guo’ai.
The 600 tonnes of rice distributed this time is the fifth batch of food aid under the emergency humanitarian assistance from China.
Kharoti expressed gratitude to China for the assistance, saying, China had provided assistance, including food and clothes in the past, which have been distributed to needy Afghans.
China is a friendly neighbour of Afghanistan, and whenever Afghanistan needs help, the Chinese people always lend a helping hand in time, Kharoti noted.
Hu said, the Chinese government pays close attention to the plight of the Afghan people, under the pandemic, war and drought, and will do its best to provide assistance to Afghans.
Following the withdrawal of the U.S. troops from Afghanistan last Aug and the U.S. government freezing nearly 10 billion U.S. dollars of Afghan assets, the economic problems of Afghanistan moved from bad to worse.
More than 22 million out of some 35 million population in Afghanistan, according to aid agencies reports, are facing acute food shortages and a humanitarian crisis.
The Chinese government announced last Sept that, it has decided to provide food, winter supplies, COVID-19 vaccines, and medicines worth 200 million yuan (about 31.4 million U.S. dollars) in emergency humanitarian aid to Afghanistan.
China has provided a total of 6,220 tonnes of food aid to Afghanistan so far.– NNN-XINHUA
