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Pakistan sending in emergency aid and rescue teams to quake-hit Afghanistan
Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) called an urgent meeting on Sunday to coordinate a humanitarian assistance relief plan for earthquake-hit Afghanistan, including search and rescue teams.
Thousands of people have been badly impacted by the two 6.3 magnitude quakes, and numerous aftershocks that rocked the western province of Herat on Saturday.
So far 2,053 people are confirmed dead, over 10,000 are injured and 13 villages have been completely destroyed.
Pakista’s NDMA chairman, Lt. General Inam Haider Malik chaired the session which was attended by Pakistan’s ambassador in Afghanistan Ubaid Ur Rehman Nizamani, representatives from Pakistan’s ministry of foreign affairs and other relevant departments, a statement issued by Pakistan’s Prime Minister’s Office stated.
“Attendees were briefed about the situation in Herat, Afghanistan and the assistance that can be sent immediately to our brethren country Afghanistan in distress.
“NDMA has arranged to dispatch relief items which include food items, medications, tents and blankets. In addition to these items Search and Rescue Teams have also been shortlisted and are ready to be dispatched,” the statement read.
Malik stressed the need for swift relief assistance for Afghanistan and said the assistance should be sent via the fastest means available “utilizing air and land routes to Afghanistan”. He also requested the facilitation and coordination by all government departments and agencies involved in the process.
Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US special representative for Afghanistan, has questioned Pakistan’s commitment to the welfare of the Afghan people, citing Islamabad’s policies over the past three decades.
Khalilzad said in a post on X that Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif advocated for the rights of Afghan women during his speech at the UN General Assembly on Friday.
Sharif said: “Fundamental rights of the Afghan people — especially women and girls — must be respected.”
Responding to the remarks, Khalilzad said Pakistan’s policies over the past 30 years raise questions about Sharif’s commitment to Afghan welfare.
He cited Pakistan’s support for militant groups against US forces and what he described as the poor treatment of Afghan refugees as examples.
Khalilzad also said Afghanistan and Pakistan need and should have much better relations, adding that “a reset is necessary.”
India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met with the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Rabab Fatima, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X that Misri underscored the need to keep addressing the humanitarian needs of the Afghan people as a priority.
Misri also appreciated the role of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and reaffirmed India’s continued cooperation with the United Nations on Afghanistan.
The meeting comes as Afghanistan continues to face humanitarian and economic challenges, with international agencies warning of significant needs among the Afghan population.
Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi has called for pragmatic and coordinated international engagement with Afghanistan, saying the country’s long-term stability is closely linked to the security and sustainable development of Central Asia.
Speaking during the general debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday, Tileuberdi said humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan remains essential but alone cannot break the cycle of poverty, displacement and dependency.
He said Kazakhstan supports a “pragmatic, coordinated and step-by-step” approach to international engagement with Afghanistan, with the United Nations playing a central role.
Tileuberdi also said Kazakhstan is working with the UN to operationalize the United Nations Regional Centre for the Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan in Almaty.
He said the success of the centre should be measured by the results and assistance it delivers to the region.
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