Uzbekistan sends nearly 300 tons of emergency aid to Afghanistan

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An earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan on the night of September 1 this year, resulting in numerous casualties. In accordance with the instruction of the President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, and as a gesture of compassion and solidarity, humanitarian aid was sent to the residents of Kunar and Nangarhar provinces, the Surkhandarya regional administration reported. 

It was stated that nearly 300 tons of food products, medicines, and medical supplies were delivered to Balkh province on behalf of the people of Uzbekistan. A ceremony for the handover of the humanitarian aid took place in the territory of the “Astras” company in the city of Hairatan. The event was attended by the Special Representative of the President of Uzbekistan for Afghanistan, Ismatulla Ergashev, the governor of Surkhandarya region, Ulugbek Qosimov, the deputy governor of Balkh province, Nurulhodi Abu Idris, as well as officials from both sides.

"The aid included flour, rice, sugar, canned meat, pasta and confectionery products, cooking oil, instant meals, red beans and mung beans, bottled drinking water, 5,000 blankets, as well as more than 10 tons of medicines and medical supplies", the report stated.

Afghan officials expressed deep gratitude to the President and people of Uzbekistan for the humanitarian assistance provided.

It should be noted that the U.S. Geological Survey reported a 6.0-magnitude earthquake at a depth of 8 kilometers, 27 kilometers northeast of Jalalabad, near the border with Pakistan. Local authorities described it as one of the deadliest earthquakes in the country’s history.

This is the third major earthquake since the Taliban came to power in 2021. Following the withdrawal of foreign forces, international aid, which made up the bulk of the state budget, has sharply declined. Diplomats and aid organizations say that global crises elsewhere, along with the Taliban’s policies toward women, particularly restrictions on female staff, have further reduced financial assistance. Humanitarian aid has also dropped from $3.8 billion in 2022 to just $767 million this year.

According to the latest reports, the earthquake has left 2,205 people dead and 3,640 injured. Rescue operations are continuing in the hardest-hit districts of Nur-Gul, Savki, Chapa-Dara, and Manogi.

It is worth noting that on September 1, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev extended his condolences to the leadership of Afghanistan’s interim Taliban government following the earthquake in Kunar and Nangarhar provinces, which claimed many lives and left numerous people injured.