India sends wheat to Afghanistan after deal with Pakistan

India sends wheat to Afghanistan after deal with Pakistan

India sends wheat to Afghanistan after deal with Pakistan

Attari : As a humanitarian aid to Kabul, India today sent the first shipment of 2,500 tonnes of wheat to Afghanistan via Pakistan land route.

A total of 41 Afghan trucks, were flagged off by Foreign Secretary of India Harsh Vardhan Shringla along with Afghanistan’s Ambassador to India Farid Mamundzay and World Food Programme (WFP) Country Director Bishaw Parajauli from the Integrated Check Post (ICP), at Attari-Wagah border.

Shringla said, “We are extending humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan in the form of 50,000 tonnes of wheat. The first consignment of 2,500 tonnes has been flagged off today. It will be delivered to World Food Programme for dissemination.”

Under a deal with New Delhi, Pakistan had allowed trucks from Afghanistan to collect wheat from India by way of the frontier crossing at Attari-Wagah.

This was the first lot of 50,000 tonnes of wheat that India had committed to send to Afghanistan since the Taliban took over Kabul in August last year. This follows a pact inked between India and the WFP to supply foodgrains to Afghanistan.

Earlier, India had supplied 5,00,000 dozes of Covaxin, 13 tonnes of life saving medicines and 500 units of winter clothing. These were handed over to the WHO and Indira Gandhi Hospital in Kabul.

Showing gratitude towards the Indians, Afghanistan’s diplomat said the generosity displayed was very timely as millions of Afghans were facing food crisis.

Mamundzay said,“I thank the Government of India for taking a timely initiative in this difficult hour. Afghans are facing food scarcity since October. I believe that 50,000 tonnes of wheat can be delivered within a span of one month.”

Meanwhile, Mamundzay took to twitter and wrote, “I am back to the historic city of Amritsar after less than six weeks & this time to witness the flagging off ceremony of India’s wheat assistance shipment of 50,000 tonnes to Afghanistan today. Amritsar, a beautiful city with rich history & proud culture is the shortest land.”

Message in Pashto

• FCI will deliver 50,000 tonnes of wheat of rabi market season 2020-21
• Each bag carries a message ‘Gift from India to people of Afghanistan’ in English, Pashto and Dari
• The shelf life of wheat is minimum 1 year from the date of dispatch