Qatari aid for Herat quake survivors arrives today

ATLANTA (Pajhwok): The government of Qatar has announced sending food and nonfood items on three planes in emergency winter aid to earthquake survivors in western Herat province.

The Qatari embassy in Kabul said all three chartered planes carrying the aid would land in Herat today (Thursday).

It added the humanitarian assistance would be distributed to the earthquake-affected families in a transparent manner.

An official from the Qatari embassy told Pajhwok Afghan News on Wednesday two more aid-laden planes would arrive in Herat the start of next week.

The first flight will deliver 24 tonnes of humanitarian assistance, containing 6,000 blankets and 1,000 food packages. Each food package contains 24 kilograms of different edible items.

Coming from the Qatar Welfare Foundation and the Red Crescent Society, the aid will be handed over to the Afghanistan Red Crescent Society (ARCS) for distribution.

Parts of Herat were struck by a 6.3 magnitude earthquake followed by multiple aftershocks, causing more than 6,000 casualties and heavy financial losses.

aw/mud