Ministry of Refugee Affairs of Afghanistan starts allocation of food donated by China

The Ministry of Refugee Affairs of Afghanistan's interim government starts allocating China-donated food supplies to its 34 provinces on Jan 22.  [Photo/Xinhua]

The Ministry of Refugee Affairs of Afghanistan's interim government started allocating China-donated food supplies to its 34 provinces on Jan 22.  

Ministry spokesperson Khalil ur-Rahman Haqqani said in an interview with Xinhua that the food will be delivered to 10 provinces that need it the most before being sent to the rest of the country. He acknowledged that Afghanistan has received multiple shipments of humanitarian aid supplies from China and expressed gratitude to the Chinese government on behalf of Afghanistan's interim government. The ministry will allocate the supplies to people in need across the country, he said.

In an interview with Xinhua, a resident of Faryab province in northern Afghanistan said that the Chinese are good neighbors and friends of Afghans. Winter supplies from China have brought warmth to Afghans during the cold winter.

At present, Afghanistan is facing a severe humanitarian crisis. According to statistics from the United Nations, 22.80 million people in Afghanistan, over half of its total population, have been facing severe food shortages since last November. Last September, the Chinese government announced that China would provide 200 million yuan ($31.04 million) in emergency humanitarian assistance, including food, vaccines, medicine and cold weather supplies, to Afghanistan.