India sends first shipment of wheat to Afghanistan via Pakistan
India Today
As part of its humanitarian aid, India sent 2,500 tonnes of wheat to Afghanistan via Pakistan soil on Tuesday.
India on Tuesday sent the first shipment of 2,500 tonnes of wheat to Afghanistan via Pakistani land route, over four months after announcing the humanitarian aid for the Afghan people.
In a ceremony held in Amritsar, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla along with Afghan Ambassador Farid Mamundzay and World Food Program Country Director Bishaw Parajuli flagged off the first convoy of 50 trucks carrying the consignment.
India had sent a proposal to Islamabad on October 7 seeking a transit facility to send 50,000 tonnes of wheat to the people of Afghanistan via Pakistani soil. It received a positive response on November 24.
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Following this, both sides were in touch to finalise the modalities for the transportation of the shipment.
"The shipment is part of the commitment made by the Government of India to supply 50,000 metric tonnes of wheat for the people of Afghanistan. The wheat assistance will be delivered in multiple consignments and will be handed over to the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) in Jalalabad, Afghanistan," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.
"In this regard, the Government of India signed an agreement with the WFP for the distribution of 50,000 MT of wheat within Afghanistan," it said.
