New Delhi (NVI): India today shipped the first consignment of 5,022 metric tonnes of wheat to Afghanistan as a humanitarian gesture to ensure food security during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Afghan envoy to India Tahir Qadiry thanked India for the goodwill gesture while tweeting: “Today, Afghanistan’s all-weather friend #India shipped the 1st consignment of 5,022 MT of wheat of the total gifted package of 75,000 MT. The allocation of 500,000 hydroxychloroquine tablets is to be dispatched soon too. True friend through our thick & thin.”
Today, Afghanistan’s all-weather friend #India shipped the 1st consignment of 5,022 MT of wheat of the total gifted package of 75,000 MT. The allocation of 500,000 hydroxychloroquine tablets is to be dispatched soon too. True friend through our thick & thin ? ??|?? pic.twitter.com/T02Mbvyu9w
— Tahir Qadiry طاهر قادرى (@tahirqadiry) April 12, 2020
Indian ambassador to Afghanistan, Vinay Kumar had last year said that India would gift 75,000 metric tonnes of wheat to Afghanistan.
The Indian Embassy in Afghanistan also tweeted on the development, expressing India’s commitment to helping its all-weather friend. “251 containers carrying 1st consignment of 5,022 MT of wheat out of total gift of 75,000 MT from India to Afghanistan set sail from Kandla Port to Chabahar Port today. The remaining consignments will follow in the weeks ahead,” it tweeted.
The embassy also announced that India will be sending another consignment of 5,00,000 Hydroxychloroquine tablets to Afghanistan. India has already cleared the first list of 13 countries to which it will export the HCQ tablets, seen as helpful in the treatment of cases.
“This humanitarian gesture of Indian people to our Afghan brethren will ensure food security during difficult times of COVID-19 pandemic. India is gifting 500,000 tablets of HydroxyChloroquine to AFG for health professionals and COVID-19 positive cases,” the Indian Embassy said in another tweet.
(2/2) This humanitarian gesture of Indian people to our Afghan brethren will ensure food security during difficult times of COVID-19 pandemic. India is gifting 500,000 tablets of HydroxyChloroquine to AFG for health professionals and COVID-19 positive cases.@MEAIndia @vkumar1969 pic.twitter.com/Ajjdjxk1Gm
— India in Afghanistan (@IndianEmbKabul) April 12, 2020
India is the largest exporter of the anti-malarial drug and it has already sent a consignment to the United States where more than 20,000 people have lost their lives due to coronavirus.
