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Indonesia sends 10 million Polio vaccine doses to Afghanistan
The Indonesian Agency for International Development (Indonesian AID), has sent vaccine assistance comprising 10 million bOPV (bivalent oral polio vaccine) doses to Afghanistan.
The assistance was sent off by Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi and Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati from Soekarno Hatta Airport, Tangerang, Banten, on Thursday.
Marsudi, in a written statement, said that the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan has not yet started to improve.
She cited UN World Food Programme (WFP) data, which has estimated that 23.7 million Afghans are in need of humanitarian assistance.
The inadequate health situation in the country has left people vulnerable to infectious diseases. Afghanistan is also one of a number of countries in the world that are categorized as polio-endemic.
“Amid this situation, of course, we must help. This is also based on the request from the Afghanistan side to be able to donate polio vaccines,” she informed.
She further said that Indonesia is one of the most advanced countries in terms of polio vaccine production as the country has produced and exported the vaccines to many countries.
The minister added that the provision of the polio vaccine produced by state-owned pharmaceutical holding PT Bio Farma is part of Indonesia’s commitment to Afghans.
Minister Marsudi also expressed gratitude for all parties that have cooperated in the provision of the assistance, including UNICEF, which will support the delivery and distribution of the vaccine doses.
“Once again, Indonesia shows that we are ready to contribute to (tackling) humanitarian issues. Indonesia continues to be committed to supporting the people of Afghanistan,” she highlighted.
Meanwhile, Minister Indrawati said that the vaccine assistance is a form of concrete support for Afghanistan’s vaccination program, which will cover 3.3 million children aged under three.
She added that Indonesian AID was established with the spirit of solidarity with fellow developing countries and commitment to global targets, such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“During its four years of operation, this institution has provided development cooperation donations worth Rp356.58 billion (around US$22.80 million) to 49 friendly countries, including Palestine, Ukraine, Myanmar, Timor Leste, Papua New Guinea, and Fiji,” she informed.
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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