China-aided earthquake relief arrives in Afghanistan

On Oct 15, 2023, two Chinese planes carrying the first batch of disaster relief supplies from the Chinese government and the Red Cross Society of China arrived at Herat Airport in Afghanistan. The supplies mainly include urgently needed items for Afghan earthquake victims, such as tents, rollaway beds, heavy blankets, hardshell jackets, and family kits. More supplies from China will follow as soon as possible.

On Oct 7, an earthquake struck northwestern Afghanistan, causing heavy casualties and damage to property. The Chinese government acted promptly upon the incident and decided to provide 30 million yuan ($4.18 million) of emergency humanitarian aid to Afghanistan. The China International Development Cooperation Agency, together with relevant departments, agencies and localities, immediately launched the working mechanism for emergency humanitarian assistance, formulated assistance plans, and completed relevant preparations such as material mobilization and military aircraft transport within a short period.