RIYADH: Saudi Arabia will deliver humanitarian aid overland on 200 trucks from Pakistan to Afghanistan, said King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSRelief) Supervisor General Abdullah al-Rabeeah.
Saudi Arabia Thursday sent two aircrafts carrying humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, state media reported, its first such initiative since the Taliban took control of the crisis-stricken country in August.
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The kingdom’s state-run KSRelief sent more than 65 tonnes of aid, including 1,647 food baskets, the official Saudi Press Agency said.
The centre’s supervisor general said the Saudi Arabian humanitarian air bridge would see a total of six planes deliver more than 197 tonnes of aid to Afghanistan.
The Gulf Arab countries agreed during a summit in Riyadh on Tuesday to “contribute in mobilising international efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people and to improving their economic conditions”.
More than half of Afghanistan’s 38 million people face “acute” food shortages, according to the United Nations, with the winter forcing millions to choose between migration and starvation.
The previous Taliban government between 1996 and 2001 imposed a very strict interpretation of Islamic law and harsh public punishments.
Saudi Arabia was one of the three nations, including the United Arab Emirates and Pakistan, which recognised the Taliban regime.
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But, since returning to power in mid-August after overthrowing the US-backed government, the Taliban has tried to show a more moderate face in its quest for international recognition and an end to sanctions.
Despite the lack of recognition for the Taliban government, the United States allowed some exemptions to its sanctions on Afghanistan to enable humanitarian aid to enter.
