The Afghan disaster management official said on Monday that the first batch of food aid donated by a Chinese firm has reached the earthquake-hit region in eastern Afghanistan.
The food aid donated by MCC-JCL Aynak Minerals Company Ltd. (MJAM) reached Khost city of the eastern Khost province on Sunday, Mohammad Salim Haqqani, official from the office of the state minister for disaster management and humanitarian affairs said.
“We are thankful to all aid agencies, domestic and international organisations which provided aid to us at this difficult time when we are facing an emergency situation; we are grateful as they delivered a lot of assistance,” Haqqani said.
He said the 5.9-magnitude earthquake that struck Afghanistan on Wednesday was the deadliest in more than 20 years, causing at least 1,500 deaths and more than 2,000 injuries while destroying more than 3,000 houses.
He noted that in order to help the calamity-affected people, the disaster management authorities needed more relief items and supplies, including tents, carpets, mats, tarpaulin, blankets, medicine, foodstuff as well as medicals.
Haqqani said the aid would be transported to communities in worst-hit remote districts in Khost and neighboring Paktika provinces at the earliest time.
According to Ahmad Saleh, from the Chinese company MJAM, the food aid include 800 sacks of flour, 800 sacks of rice, 800 bottles of cooking oil, and 800 packages of tea.
He said China had pledged to provide 7.5 million U.S. dollars in emergency humanitarian aid for victims of the deadly earthquake in Paktika and Khost provinces.
“A flight carrying the first shipment of the aid including tents and folding beds would reach Afghanistan on Monday.’’ (Xinhua/NAN)