UN re-routes100 tonnes of humanitarian aid for Afghanistan via Uzbekistan borders: Report

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has sent at least 96 tonnes of humanitarian aid destined for Afghanistan via Uzbekistan, news agency Sputnik reported on Sunday. The aid was initially reached at Termez Cargo Center in Uzbekistan and would later be transported to the war-torn country. "The total volume of delivered cargo is 96 tonnes, these are essential items," the director of the cargo centre Nodirbek Jalilov told Sputnik. According to him, the list of aid delivered included blankets, tents and plastic cutlery.

While explaining the reason for re-routing the cargo via Uzbekistan, Jalilov said the Termez-Hairatan border is located less than 1.24 miles from the cargo centre. Further, Jailov told Sputnik that since the start of October, around 40 railroad cars of food had arrived at Termez for Afghanistan via the UN World Food Program. He said the food was then transported to the Termez-Hairatan border via trucks.

It is worth noting that the developments came days after the UN agency mandated to aid and protect refugees, forcibly displaced communities, and stateless people, announced to send at least three planes with humanitarian aid for Afghanistan via Termez. Notably, the first flight loaded with humanitarian aid was landed on October 15 and the rest two expected to land later this week.  Earlier in September, the World Health Organisation (WHO) delivered at least 8.7 metric tons of life-saving medical and trauma supplies to Afghanistan. According to WHO, the supplies which were delivered at the Kabul Airport was a collaborative effort of the operations and logistic teams of Qatar Airways and the Government of the State of Qatar. The organisation informed that the shipment was first packed at the Europe facility and was transported to Qatar.

Later, the consignment was taken to Kabul to cover the urgent health needs of 1 million people in Afghanistan. Notably, WHO is exploring options to expedite further shipments of health supplies to Afghanistan. Earlier, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi appealed to the international communities to come forward in order to help the Afghan people. He said that the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan is 'pretty desperate' and stressed sending food, medicines, shelter and other necessities urgently to the war-ravaged country.

With inputs from AP/ANI

Image: ANI/Representative