Pakistan dispatches relief supplies to Afghanistan earthquake victims

Pakistan has sent 105 tonnes of humanitarian aid for quake-struck Afghanistan, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and foreign minister Ishaq Dar said on Wednesday in a statement.

The earthquake killed a total of 1,469 people and injured more than 3,700, according to a new toll from Afghan authorities, making it one of the deadliest in decades to hit the impoverished country.

The vast majority of the casualties — more than 1,450 — were in Kunar province, with a dozen dead and hundreds hurt in nearby Nangarhar and Laghman provinces.

“Following my telephone call with Afghan foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, the government of Pakistan has dispatched 105 tonnes of humanitarian relief assistance to Afghanistan,” Ishaq Dar said.

The consignment includes “essential food items, medicines, tents, blankets, and bubble mats”, aimed at supporting those affected by the recent earthquakes in the country, the statement added.

“We extend our deepest condolences and prayers for the victims and wish a speedy recovery to the injured,” FM Dar said. Pakistan stands in solidarity with the brotherly people of Afghanistan in this difficult time, he added.

The relief supplies are being sent to Afghanistan via the Torkham crossing via five trucks with 40-foot containers.