Afghanistan: First civilian flight after 20 years hiatus lands at Jalalabad airfield

The first civilian flight in 20 years has landed at an airfield in the city of Jalalabad in Nangarhar province in eastern Afghanistan. According to Nangarhar Media Center, the provincial authorities on Sunday, 21 November, said that the first humanitarian aid from Iran reached Jalalabad airport in a first-ever civilian flight in the last 20 years. A day before, the officials informed that the airfield in Jalalabad is ready to receive domestic and international flights, as all technical and security issues were resolved.  

The acting director of the airport, Spin Ghar Shahzad, told TOLO news as  that the technical staff were recalled back on duty, adding "We have all the capabilities for technical activity. The technical staff is all present. You will witness the flights."

"We assure the citizens and world that Nangarhar (Jalalabad) Airport is fully prepared for the flights," said Sheikh Neda Ahmad, head of Nangarhar's security department.

Separately, the Nangarhar Media Center said that the humanitarian aid provided by the Islamic Republic of Iran consists of six tons of rice, four tons of medicine and other foodstuffs. This came after Iranian special envoys for Afghanistan arrived in the capital city of Kabul to hold meetings with Taliban officials. The two sides agreed to strengthen cooperation on a number of issues, including humanitarian aid. 

Aftermath of Taliban takeover 

Meanwhile, it is to mention that the Taliban seized Kabul on August 15, causing the US-backed civilian government to step down. In September, the militant group then announced the composition of the new interim government of Afghanistan. Since then, the group has claimed that it has implemented all the conditions for recognition stated by the international community and urged governments to provide assistance for the Afghan people. 

Afghanistan is currently battered by the deepening economic, humanitarian and security crisis. As per TOLO, while some countries have considered engaging in cooperation with the Taliban inetrim government, which is yet to be legitimised. Additionally, it also awaits the release of millions of dollars worth of assets frozen outside the country, with no signs of immediate release.

(Image: Twitter)