On June 5, 2018, according to the decision of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Uzbekistan sent 3 thousand tons of wheat as humanitarian aid to the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.
Humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, affected by the drought, was delivered to Hairatan through the railway station “Shurchi” of Uzbekistan.
In the last months of 2017 and early 2018, two-thirds of the territory of Afghanistan experienced a drought, leading to a significant decrease in the yield of wheat. According to forecasts, 2.3 million people of Afghanistan will suffer from the natural disaster.
President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Mohammad Ashraf Ghani informed that 16 out of 34 provinces of the country are suffering from drought and called on the international community to provide humanitarian aid. According to him, many reservoirs of the country are depleted. The disaster is observed mainly in the north of Afghanistan.
Uzbekistan is one of the first to respond, helped to the neighboring fraternal state.
The delegation of Uzbekistan was met by the governor of Balkh province.
In the city of Hairatan, a meeting was held with participation of the special representative of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Afghanistan Ismatulla Irgashev, the head of the consular department of Uzbekistan in Mazar-i-Sharif Mirodil Abdurazzakov, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to Uzbekistan Sayed Shahabuddin Timory and members of the governments of the two countries.
It was noted that cooperation between the two countries in recent years has risen to a new level, humanitarian aid of Uzbekistan to Afghanistan is a sign of lasting friendship. Views were exchanged on strengthening good neighborly relations.
Children’s clothing was also sent to Afghanistan together with 3 thousand tons of wheat.