Turkey has delivered 33 tons of food aid to Afghanistan: Ambassador

KABUL, Afghanistan

Turkey has delivered 33 tons of food aid to Afghanistan, Ankara’s ambassador in Kabul said on Monday.

Speaking at a ceremony for the aid handover in the Afghan capital Kabul, Turkish Ambassador Cihad Erginay said: "The Turkish Red Crescent and other Turkish institutions will continue to carry aid to Afghanistan and Afghan people. This is the human duty."

The recent food aid was handed by the Turkish Red Crescent to the Afghan Red Crescent.

"Today's aid is a new phase, we have provided a larger amount of food aid, totaling 33 tons. In this aid effort, nearly 2,000 parcels will be distributed to meet the food needs of 16,000 people for one month," Erginay said.

He said the Afghan people have been suffering for years due to natural disasters such as drought and the coronavirus pandemic besides the recent transition period following the Taliban takeover.

"Turkey extended a helping hand to eliminate this suffering," Erginay said, urging all countries to offer help to Afghanistan.

Afghan Red Crescent head Mawlawi Said Sefatullah Quraishi, for his part, thanked the Turkish Red Crescent for the aid.

"Afghanistan has just come out of the war. The humanitarian crisis is growing. The number of people affected by drought and economic problems is between 19 and 25 million across the country. Our request from friendly and brotherly Turkey and the Turkish Red Crescent is to continue to help us."

*Writing by Seda Sevencan