GENEVA: A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) plane carrying desperately-needed medical supplies landed in Afghanistan on Monday (30th of August), the World Health Organization (WHO) said, a first since the Taliban took control of the country two weeks ago on 15th day of August). 

CEO of PIA Arshad Malik while commenting on the development maintained that it was the national flag carrier’s moral responsibility to support the suffering citoyens of the neighboring country: “PIA will continue humanitarian missions on the instructions of the Pakistan government and the aviation minister.”

PIA took to the Twitter to hold: “Following a long tradition of assisting with global humanitarian efforts, a special PIA B-777 Cargo Flight operated to Mazar-i-Sharif today to deliver essential medicines & supplies from WHO. The first ever humanitarian AID flight to land in Afghanistan to assist Afghan brethren

Hospitals and clinics are rapidly running out of supplies in the war-ravaged country, and a deadly attack at Kabul airport Friday has further complicated the delivery of aid.
The WHO said that the plane, which flew from Dubai to the northern Afghan city of Mazar-i-Sharif, was carrying 12.5 tonnes of supplies that will be delivered to 40 health facilities in 29 provinces across the country.
The supplies — which include trauma and emergency kits — are enough to cover the basic needs of more than 200,000 people, provide 3,500 surgical procedures and treat 6,500 trauma patients, WHO added.
“After days of non-stop work to find a solution… we have now been able to partially replenish stocks of health facilities in Afghanistan,” WHO regional director for the eastern Mediterranean Ahmed Al-Mandhari said.
“Humanitarian agencies such as WHO have faced enormous challenges in sending life-saving supplies to Afghanistan in recent weeks due to security and logistics constraints,” Al-Mandhari added.
He further thanked Pakistan, which provided the plane for the delivery.
It was the first of three flights planned with Pakistan International Airlines, and the WHO said it is working to ensure “this week’s shipment is the first of many”.
Afghanistan could soon face a shortage of medical personnel as staff are among those fleeing the country and women health workers are staying away from work out of fear, the WHO warned on Friday (27th of August, 2021).

Newspakistan.tv | YouTube Channel