India Dispatches Aid to Quake-Hit Afghanistan

New Delhi, Sept. 3:India has extended a vital hand of humanitarian assistance to earthquake-stricken Afghanistan, delivering 21 tonnes of relief supplies in the wake of a deadly 6.8-magnitude tremor that struck the country’s eastern provinces earlier this week.

The quake has so far claimed more than 1,400 lives, left over 2,500 injured, and displaced thousands. Several villages have been reduced to rubble, with survivors struggling amid acute shortages of food, water, and shelter. Aid agencies have warned that without immediate support, the crisis could deepen.

India’s Relief Effort

According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the aid package includes tents, blankets, medicines, and emergency supplies. The consignment was dispatched aboard a special aircraft and handed over to Afghan authorities at Kabul airport.

“India stands in solidarity with the people of Afghanistan in this hour of crisis,” the MEA said in an official statement. “Our assistance will continue as Afghanistan undertakes recovery and rehabilitation.”

The supplies are intended to reach some of the worst-hit rural districts where entire families have been left homeless. Indian officials emphasized that additional aid consignments are under consideration as assessments of on-ground needs continue.

Humanitarian Diplomacy Amid Strained Ties

The relief effort is seen as part of India’s humanitarian diplomacy, underscoring New Delhi’s willingness to separate people-to-people solidarity from political disputes. Since the Taliban’s takeover in 2021, India has maintained minimal diplomatic contact with Kabul. Yet, it has consistently delivered aid during humanitarian emergencies, including food grain and COVID-19 vaccines in previous years.

“This assistance reflects India’s recognition that humanitarian imperatives must rise above politics,” said former diplomat Vivek Katju. “It also reinforces India’s role as a responsible regional power.”

International Response

The United Nations, Red Cross, and other aid agencies have launched urgent appeals for global support, warning that survivors in remote mountainous areas remain cut off from assistance due to collapsed roads and damaged communication networks.

Relief workers on the ground report dire conditions, with hospitals overwhelmed and aftershocks hampering rescue efforts. “Every hour counts,” said a UN coordinator. “The international community must move fast before this disaster escalates into a prolonged humanitarian crisis.”

As supplies from India and other countries arrive, the hope is that timely assistance can help prevent further loss of life and ease the suffering of thousands of Afghan families.