India has sent 50 trucks carrying 2,500 tonnes of wheat to the troubled country of Afghanistan after Pakistan gave "extraordinary" permission for shipments, officials said on Wednesday.
Western nations have sharply cut aid since the Taliban took control last year. Afghanistan is facing a "catastrophic" humanitarian crisis. According to the United Nations, a majority of 280 million people need assistance.
In response to the UN appeal, India decided to gift 5,000 tonnes of wheat. The first stage of the lorries was flagged off by officials during a ceremony in Amritsar near the Pakistan border on Tuesday.
Pakistan, India's arch-rival, said it agreed on "extraordinary grounds" to allow the shipment to pass through its territory. Islamabad suspended trade with India in 2019 after New Delhi revoked partial autonomy of Indian-administered Kashmir.
India, which previously had close ties with the Western-backed Afghan government, had also provided 500,000 doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, 13 tonnes of medicine and winter clothing. In a tweet, Afghan Ambassador to India Farid Mamundje said India's wheat assistance to Afghanistan was greater than any other country's food contribution during this difficult time.
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