ISTANBUL

A convoy carrying humanitarian aid departed Turkmenistan on Friday for neighboring Afghanistan, which was hit by an earthquake earlier this month, the Turkmen International Information Center said.

According to a statement, four trucks set out toward the border city of Kerki, through which the cargo will be delivered to the Afghan people affected by the quake.

The aid includes essential goods such as medicines, medical supplies, textiles, and food products.

The humanitarian initiative was organized on the orders of the Chairman of the People’s Council (Halk Maslahaty) of Turkmenistan by the Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov Charitable Foundation for Assistance to Children in Need of Care.

The 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck northern Afghanistan on Nov. 2. The death toll has risen to 27, and nearly 1,000 are injured, according to national health officials.

The quake caused severe destruction across the provinces of Balkh, Samangan, Baghlan, Sar-e-Pul and Kunduz, destroying more than 1,000 homes and leaving hundreds displaced.

Afghanistan has been struck by multiple earthquakes in past years, affecting thousands of families.