Covid Pandemic: India Supplies 5,00,000 Doses Of Covaxin To Afghanistan As Humanitarian Assistance

The MEA said another batch of additional 5,00,000 doses would be supplied to Afghanistan in the coming weeks.

A health worker inoculates a man with Covid vaccine provided by India at a vaccination center in Kabul on April 26, 2021. (Getty Images/File Photo)

New Delhi: India on Saturday supplied the next batch of humanitarian assistance consisting of 5,00,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccine (Covaxin) to Afghanistan, the Ministry of External Affairs said.

The MEA added the same was handed over to the Indira Gandhi Hospital in Afghan capital Kabul.

The MEA said another batch of additional 5,00,000 doses would be supplied to Afghanistan in the coming weeks.

“Government of India has committed to provide humanitarian assistance to Afghan people consisting of food grains, one million doses of COVID Vaccine and essential life saving drugs,” the MEA added.

The MEA further said India had earlier last month delivered 1.6 tons of medical assistance to Afghanistan through World Health Organization (WHO).

“In coming weeks, we would be undertaking the supply of wheat and the remaining medical assistance. In this regard, we are in touch with UN agencies and others for finalizing the modalities for transportation,” the MEA added.

The move assumes significance in view of the surge in Covid-19 cases.

In keeping with its commitment to assisting the Afghan people in their hour of need, India had last month dispatched medical supplies to Afghanistan in the first batch of humanitarian aid since the Taliban took over the nation.

India has been advocating unrestricted humanitarian supplies to Afghanistan in order to solve the country's looming humanitarian disaster.

At the same time, India has urged Afghanistan to build a truly inclusive administration while maintaining that Afghan land not be utilised for terrorist actions against any nation.