The first shipment of Indian auxiliary wheat arrived in Jalalabad, Afghanistan

The first shipment of Indian auxiliary wheat, including 50 trucks carrying 2,500 tonnes of wheat, has arrived in Jalalabad, the capital of Nangarhar province.

Indian Foreign Ministry spokesman Arindam Baghchi wrote on his Twitter page yesterday that his country had sent the first shipment of 2,500 tonnes of auxiliary wheat from Attari to Jalalabad.

He added that this is an important turning point in India’s humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people.

However, the shipment to Afghanistan was attended by Hersh Warden Sheringla, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs of the Indian Government, Farid Mamondzai, Afghan Ambassador to New Delhi and a World Food Program delegation.

“The first shipment of 2,500 tons of wheat was sent by 50 trucks to Jalalabad, Afghanistan,” the Indian foreign minister said. “We expect the transfer of several more shipments across the Atari border to be completed within two to three months, thus fulfilling our commitment to transport 50,000 tonnes of wheat.”

Pakistani officials have not previously allowed the transfer of Indian aid wheat to Afghanistan through its territory, but officials in both countries have recently agreed to transfer the aid to Afghanistan.