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MAZAR-I-SHARIF: As part of the humanitarian air bridge, first Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight carrying medical essentials from the World Health Organization (WHO) landed in Mazar-i-Sharif on Monday.
According to state-run news agency APP, the PK-234 flew from Dubai and landed at the Mazar-i-Sharif Airport – the first international flight to the country’s fourth-largest city after the Taliban swept Afghanistan.
Following a long tradition of assisting with global humanitarian efforts, a spl #PIA B 777 Cargo Flt 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 pic.twitter.com/dJMAMeD0Qy
— PIA (@Official_PIA) August 30, 2021
The national flag carrier was providing air transport for the operation while the World Health Organization (WHO) would be arranging logistics on the ground as part of the humanitarian bridge in the war-torn country.
Pakistan’s Ambassador to Afghanistan, Mansoor Ahmed Khan, confirmed that the PIA cargo flight took essential supplies of WHO to Mazar-i-Sharif in line with Pakistan’s role of making a humanitarian air bridge in coordination with international agencies.
First PIA Cargo flight with WHO medical supplies from Islamabad to Mazar Sharif today. A humanitarian air bridge for essential supplies to Afghanistan in coordination with international agencies. Thanx PIA. @SMQureshiPTI @ForeignOfficePk @fawadchaudhry @PakinAfg @Official_PIA
— Mansoor Ahmad Khan (@ambmansoorkhan) August 30, 2021
In view of the medical supplies running out within days in Afghanistan, the global health watchdog had announced last week to establish an air bridge in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif with help from Pakistani authorities.
“Trauma kits and emergency supplies for hospitals and medicines for treating chronic malnutrition in children are among priority items required for Afghanistan where 18 million people depend on aid”, the WHO’s regional emergency director had said.
“One of the problems we have in Afghanistan right now is that there is no civil aviation authority functioning, but we are working with Pakistan particularly in the context of the Mazar-i-Sharif airport,” Rick Brennan told a UN briefing.