First consignment of aid dispatched to Afghanistan

As part of its humanitarian assistance for the people of Afghanistan, Pakistan on Thursday dispatched the first consignment of 1,800 metric tonnes of wheat to Afghanistan via the Torkham border.

"The consignment is part of the humanitarian package of Rs5 billion for in-kind assistance for Afghanistan announced by Prime Minister Imran Khan. The package includes 50,000 metric tonnes of wheat, winter shelters and emergency medical supplies," a statement issued here by the Foreign Office said.

The first consignment was handed over by Shehzad Arbab, the special assistant to the prime minister, to the Afghan side, the statement added.

"Pakistan believes that the current humanitarian and economic situation in Afghanistan requires immediate attention of the international community. It is critical that the world community upscale its efforts to reach out to the Afghan people on an urgent basis to help address the humanitarian crisis and stabilise the economic situation," Foreign office spokesperson Asim Iftikhar said.

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The spokesperson said Pakistan will continue its efforts in support of the fraternal Afghan people as part of our commitment to a peaceful, stable and prosperous Afghanistan.

People of Afghanistan are facing humanitarian crises since the US withdrew its forces from the war-torn country in August leading to the return of Afghan Taliban to power.

The Afghan economy already struggling during the previous government is on the brink of collapse as it is facing severe cash crunch due to sanctions and absence of banking channels.

The US has withheld $9.5 billion assets of Afghan Central Bank since the Taliban took control of the country.

Pakistan recently hosted an extraordinary session of the foreign ministers from the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to discuss the worsening humanitarian situation. The OIC in a declaration decided to set up humanitarian trust fund to be operated by the Islamic Development Bank and also urged the US to unfreeze the foreign assets of Afghanistan.

Nearly 23 million Afghans are facing acute food shortage, as per the UN assessment. If urgent steps are not taken, 97 per cent of the Afghan population could slip below the poverty line by June next, the UNDP warned.