India on Tuesday dispatched 13 tonnes of Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccines along with related dry supplies to Afghanistan to strengthen its child immunisation programme against tuberculosis, the Ministry of External Affairs said.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X that the consignment was delivered to Afghanistan’s Ministry of Public Health to support ongoing efforts to expand childhood TB vaccination coverage.
India has regularly extended humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, including medical supplies and vaccines, as part of its continued support to the Afghan people even in the aftermath of recent natural disasters, including the April 3 earthquake.
Earlier on April 5, the MEA had said India sent humanitarian aid and disaster relief materials to Afghanistan affected by floods and earthquakes. The shipment included kitchen sets, hygiene kits, plastic sheets, tarpaulins and sleeping bags.
“The people of Afghanistan have India’s solidarity, and we remain committed to providing humanitarian assistance during these difficult times,” Jaiswal had said.
According to the National Disaster Management Authority, recent heavy rains and flooding damaged 131 houses, partially damaged 650 others, and affected more than 3,000 jeribs of farmland.
Separately, the Afghan administration has criticised the United Nations sanctions regime following the latest update to its list targeting senior leaders, calling the measures ineffective and unreasonable.
Spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said continued sanctions reflect flawed policy decisions and argued that repeated restrictions fail to achieve meaningful outcomes. He added that such measures disproportionately affect ordinary citizens rather than political leaders.
His remarks came after the United Nations Security Council’s 1988 Sanctions Committee updated identifying details for four senior Taliban figures, including Mohammad Hassan Akhund, Abdul Ghani Baradar, Amir Khan Muttaqi, and Hedayatullah Badri.
(With inputs from ANI)