A Qatari plane carrying humanitarian aid arrived at Kabul airport in Afghanistan on Tuesday, the third such flight from the Arab country.
Qatar News Agency announced that the shipment contained 25 tons of food, humanitarian aid and medical supplies provided by Qatar Charity in coordination with the Qatar Fund for Development.
It said Qatari humanitarian aid to Afghanistan has reached 68 tons so far.
A team from Qatar arrived in Afghanistan last Wednesday to help the country’s national flag carrier and the airport in the capital resume operations.
Read more: How Pakistan & Qatar are spearheading a mission for Afghanistan
Commercial planes of the country’s flag carrier Ariana Afghan Airlines as well as military jets and helicopters at the airport were reportedly damaged by US forces who made an unceremonious exit from Afghanistan.
On Aug. 31, the US announced the completion of its efforts to withdraw all of its forces from Afghanistan, bringing the longest war in American history to an end.
Qatari aircrafts carrying humanitarian aid provided by @qatar_fund & @qcharity has arrived at Kabul Int. Airport as part of the immediate humanitarian response by the State of #Qatar to support the international community call to assistant the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. pic.twitter.com/4CoBSMEgn9
— Alya Ahmed Saif Al Thani (@AmbAlyaAlThani) September 6, 2021
Two weeks before the pullout, the Taliban took over Kabul, sending people into a panic as thousands flocked to the city’s airport in an effort to escape the country.
Some 130,000 people, including Americans and Afghans, have been flown out of the country as part of a massive evacuation operation.
UN to aid Afghanistan
“The U.N. delegation promised continuation of humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people, saying he would call for further assistance to Afghanistan during the coming meeting of donor countries,” Shaheen said on Twitter.
The United Nations is expected to convene an international aid conference in Geneva on Sept. 13 to help avert what U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called a “looming humanitarian catastrophe”.
Read more: U.S. funds humanitarian aid for Afghanistan, and not the government
“The conference will advocate for a swift scale-up in funding so the lifesaving humanitarian operation can continue, and appeal for full and unimpeded humanitarian access to make sure Afghans continue to get the essential services they need,” he said in a statement.
Anadolu with additional input by GVS News Desk