India sends consignment of medicines to Afghanistan

NEW DELHI: India has despatched a consignment of medicines to Afghanistan on a chartered flight that brought in a group of Indians and Afghans including members of the Sikh community in the strife-torn country.

A statement from the Indian foreign ministry on Saturday said the medicines would be handed over to the World Health Organisation representatives in Kabul and would be used at the Indira Gandhi Children’s hospital in Kabul.

This is the first consignment of aid to be sent to Kabul from India since the Pakistan-backed Taliban took control of Afghanistan on 15 August. India is working out the modalities of sending wheat to Afghanistan with Pakistan as part of a humanitarian aid package to the country that has been hit by a drought, the covid-19 pandemic and conflict.

The special flight which came in on Friday had brought 10 Indians and 94 Afghans, including members of Afghan minority community, the statement said.

“The minority community members carried with them 2 Swaroops of Guru Granth Sahib and some ancient Hindu manuscripts,” the statement said.

“Under ‘Operation Devi Shakti,’ a total of 669 people have now been evacuated from Afghanistan. This comprises of 448 Indians and 206 Afghans, which includes members of the Afghan Hindu/Sikh minority community. 565 people including 438 Indians were evacuated from Afghanistan earlier in the month of August 2021," the statement added.