Afghanistan: Iran, India to cooperate for humanitarian supplies to Kabul
Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: With Islamabad persistently sabotaging New Delhi’s attempts to send humanitarian aid, including 50,000 metric tons of wheat, to the Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, Iran has agreed to cooperate with India in shipping help to the landlocked, war-torn, and cash-strapped country facing a famine-like situation in biting winter.
The Iranian offer came during its Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian’s telephonic conversation with his Indian counterpart Dr. S. Jaishankar on Saturday last, the media reported.
Abdollahian also stressed the need for an inclusive government in Kabul.
On January 1, New Delhi had shipped 500,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccines to Kabul via Tehran, since there are currently no direct flights between India and Afghanistan.
The two ministers discussed the Afghanistan matter, besides a range of bilateral, regional, and international issues. They also discussed the use of Iran’s Chabahar port, where India operates a key terminal.
“A wide-ranging conversation with my Iranian colleague, FM @Amirabdollahian. Discussed the difficulties of Covid, challenges in Afghanistan, prospects of Chabahar, and complexities of the Iranian nuclear issue,” Dr. Jaishankar tweeted.
In a statement, Iran’s foreign ministry said Abdollahian “referred to India’s humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, announcing measures and cooperation by the Islamic Republic of Iran to transfer this aid as wheat, medicines and Covid vaccine to the country.”
On January 7, India supplied two tonnes of life-saving medicines to Afghanistan, the third tranche of aid since last month, against the backdrop of a dire humanitarian situation exacerbated by a harsh winter. They routed these medicines through Dubai.
On December 11 last year, India had sent 1.6 tonnes of life-saving medicines on a special charter flight between New Delhi and Kabul. These were handed over to the World Health Organisation (WHO) for use at the Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health in Kabul.
The Taliban regime, which is not recognized by New Delhi, or even by Islamabad, has welcomed Indian help.
In October 2021, India had offered to provide 50,000 metric tonnes of wheat to Afghanistan via Pakistani land routes. But Islamabad dilly-dallied and imposed conditions. In December, it agreed to allow transport of wheat and medicines via the Wagah land border crossing in Afghan trucks but is yet to firm up modalities.
Dr. Jaishankar said Abdollahian’s forthcoming visit to India would be a “very good opportunity to develop bilateral cooperation”, according to the Iranian foreign ministry’s statement.
