Coronavirus: Afghan students in China being assisted

KABUL’s ambassador to China says he has been in contact with Afghan students in Wuhan state of the neighboring county to assist them in avoiding the risk of coronavirus.

Health authorities around the world are taking action to prevent a global pandemic as the new virus continues to spread, with cases reported in Australia, France, the United States and seven Asia countries besides China.

According to reports, the virus has killed so far 54 people. China asked its people not to travel to Wuhan city of the country where the virus first surfaced and also asked residents of this city to stay inside. So far, 1,200 cases of the virus have been confirmed.

Javid Qayem, the Afghan ambassador to China, told Pajhwok Afghan News that he was in contract with 40 Afghan students who studied in Wuhan.

He hailed the Chinese government for responsibly dealing with the coronavirus and taking emergency measures.

He said if the Afghan students faced any problem, they could contact Karim Naqshbandi, in charge of students’ affairs in the embassy.

Qayem rejected speculations that other countries pulled out their students from China and said the Afghan Embassy would move Afghan students to safe areas if the Chinese government allowed them.

The Chinese government has quarantined all food items in Wuhan state for controlling further spread of the coronavirus.

An Afghan student in China, Rezwanullah Shpon, in a Facebook post said, “I contacted another Afghan student, Omran Zakaria, in Wuhan and he told me that they were running out of vegetables and rice and have stock for only six days, around 11 million people stay in their homes and all transportation systems including airports are shut.”

He said more than 4,000 military doctors had reached the city along with medical equipment to help control the virus spread.

Mds/ma