India in partnership with UN to send 20,000 MTs wheat for Afghan people through Chabahar Port

New Delhi [India], March 7 (ANI): India in partnership with the United Nations World Food Programme will send 20,000 metric tonnes of wheat for Afghan people through the Chabahar Port in order to address the humanitarian crisis in the country.
India on Tuesday, while hosting the first India-Central Asia Joint Working Group on Afghanistan, upon the requests by United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and Central Asian Republics, offered customized capacity-building courses for their relevant stakeholders/officials.
Moreover, India and the UNODC also agreed to partner in the efforts to counter drug trafficking, including the efforts for rehabilitation of the Afghan drug user population, especially the Afghan women and providing assistance in the development of alternate livelihood opportunities.
The Joint Working Group (JWG) meeting was an opportunity for the regional countries to discuss important issues related to Afghanistan. The discussions were constructive and guided by the interests and welfare of common Afghans.
It was attended by the Special Envoys/Senior Officials of the Republic of India, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Republic of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and the Republic of Uzbekistan. Country representatives of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC) and the United Nations World Food Programme (UNWFP) also participated in the meeting.
The participants during the meeting, exchanged views on the current situation, including the political, security and humanitarian situation in Afghanistan. The participants emphasized the importance of the formation of a truly inclusive and representative political structure that respects the rights of all Afghans and ensures equal rights for women, girls and members of minority groups, including access to education.
A joint statement was adopted and it was agreed to continue consultations in this format on a regular basis.
Tolo News recently reported that as Afghanistan continues to face the worst humanitarian crisis amid ongoing political chaos, the United Nations (UN) warned that two-thirds of Afghans are facing severe hunger and are in urgent need of aid, with six million facing the risk of famine.
With at least six million people facing the risk of famine in Afghanistan due to a reeling economic crisis, the deputy executive director of UNICEF, Omar Abid urged the international community not to forget the basic rights of women and children in Afghanistan, as well as to assist them.
The current population of Afghanistan is 41,201,762 as of Monday, February 6, 2023, based on Worldometer elaboration of the latest United Nations data.
This comes as Afghanistan's most vulnerable citizens have requested assistance from relief agencies. (ANI)