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Updated December 23rd, 2021 at 07:58 IST

US State Dept says 'first tranche' of extra 1mn COVID vaccine doses reaches Afghanistan

US State Secy Antony Blinken, on Wednesday, announced that the "first tranche" of one million additional COVID-19 doses have arrived in the war-torn country.

Reported by: Dipaneeta Das
US
IMAGE: @SecBlinken/Twitter | Image:self
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In a bid to ramp up humanitarian support to Afghanistan, United States Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, on Wednesday announced that the "first tranche" of one million additional COVID-19 doses has arrived to the war-torn country. Taking to Twitter, the top US diplomat informed that the batch brought the total supplies to 4.3 million doses in addition to the 3.3 million COVID-19 doses provided earlier. The announcement comes following the US Special Representative, Thomas West's declaration on Dec. 15, stating that the US had offered the people of Afghanistan one million additional COVID-19 doses.

On Wednesday, State Secretary Blinken also informed that the US Treasury Department issued three general licenses earlier in the day to allow the continued flow of life-saving humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, despite restrictions on Taliban (under UN sanctions for terrorism), ANI reported. "These licenses expand upon existing authorisations for the provision of humanitarian assistance and other activities that support basic human needs and enable broader support for the Afghan people consistent with Resolution 2615 (2021) adopted by the UN Security Council," Blinken said in a statement.

It is pertinent to mention that 15 members of the UNSC on Wednesday unanimously adopted the said Resolution, drafted by the US. The resolution establishes a carveout in the UN 1988 sanctions regime to ensure urgently needed aid can reach Afghan people, Blinken noted in his statement. It also requests for people updates by the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator to ensure assistance deliveries, he added. Explaining that UN sanctions are an important tool to respond to threats and human rights abuses, he stressed that it is the responsibility of the countries to ensure that the sanctions do not hinder the delivery of urgently needed aid to the Afghan people.

"While US sanctions on the Taliban remain in places OFAC has provided broad authorisations that ensure non-governmental, international organisations, and the US government can continue to provide critical support to the most vulnerable in Afghanistan," Blinken said.

US provided 3.3mn doses of COVID vaccines earlier

The new vaccine supplies come after the US delivered 3.3 million COVID vaccine doses to Afghanistan prior to the fall of Kabul. The US' decision also comes after the call from Taliban Deputy Prime Minister Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, saying that the government does not have enough money to provide treatment for COVID patients. Meanwhile, China has also donated around 8 lakh doses of the Sinopharm vaccine to Afghanistan.

(With inputs from ANI)

(Image: @SecBlinken/Twitter)

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Published December 23rd, 2021 at 07:58 IST

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