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First two of 6 relief flights from Saudi Arabia arrive in Kabul
Two Saudi Arabian planes carrying humanitarian assistance arrived at Kabul International Airport on Thursday, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) confirmed.
According to the IEA, Saudi Arabia will send four more planeloads of aid in the next few days.
General Supervisor of the King Salman Center for Relief and Humanitarian Action in Saudi Arabia, Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Rabiah, said in a statement on Thursday that “this aid comes in implementation of the directives of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and His Highness the Crown Prince – may God preserve them – to stand in addition to the brothers in Afghanistan, and as an extension of the interest that the government of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques attaches to humanitarian work and support the needy all over the world”.
According to the statement, the Saudi relief air bridge includes the operation of six relief flights, that will deliver aid to Afghanistan including food and shelter.
In addition, the center “secured foodstuffs weighing 1,920 tons, carried by 200 relief trucks, which will be launched via a land convoy from Pakistani territory and will be distributed to the most needy families in Afghanistan.”
Meanwhile, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, with support from the State of Qatar, delivered Wednesday a shipment of desperately needed aid to Afghanistan, the first of several emergency airlifts to arrive in the coming days.
The essential relief items will help displaced and vulnerable families brace themselves against the harsh winter weather, as economic and humanitarian conditions in Afghanistan continue to deteriorate.
This first airlift to arrive in Kabul included 28 tons of solar lamps and thermal blankets to be distributed to displaced Afghans most in need, UNHCR said in a statement.
“It is part of an overall 91 tons of UNHCR winter items that Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) are supporting UNHCR’s winterization program with, by airlifting them from Doha to Kabul to support vulnerable Afghans,” the statement read.
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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