China pledges $18m in emergency aid to Afghans

KABUL (Pajhwok): China has pledged to provide emergency assistance including Covid-19 vaccine worth $18 million to Afghanistan, an official said Tuesday.

Taliban’s Qatar office spokesman Dr. Mohammad Naeem wrote on his twitter account that acting foreign minister Maulvi Amir Khan Muttaqi met with Chinese ambassador Wang Yu.

Naeem said the Chinese envoy congratulated Muttaqi on formation of the caretaker government and said his country would continue to provide and expand humanitarian, economic and political cooperation with Afghanistan.

He said China announced provision of coronavirus vaccine worth $3 million and other assistance worth $15 million.

Naeem quoted Muttaqi as thanking China and said Afghanistan and China were neighboring countries and increased cooperation between the two countries was in the interest of both nations.

It comes a day after the international community in Geneva conference pledged one billion USD in humanitarian aid to Afghanistan.

In the Geneva conference, Japan pledged $200 million, US $64 million, France 100 million euros, Germany 5 million euros and the IN announced $20 million in aid to Afghanistan.

Naeem also said Muttaqi met with Pakistan ambassador Mansoor Ahmad Khan and discussed with him problems being faced by Afghan refugees in Pakistan and Islamabad assistance with Kabul and other matters of mutual interest.

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