Qatar launches air bridge to send aid to Afghanistan

Qatar has announced the launch of an air bridge to deliver aid to Afghanistan following a devastating earthquake, a day after confirming that nine aircrafts had already arrived in Kabul.

The Foreign Ministry said that “the Qatari Armed Forces have launched an air bridge of urgent humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Internal Security Force.”

The statement said the initiative was carried out “under the directives of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.”

A video accompanying the announcement showed that the aid includes field hospitals, medical supplies, food, shelter, and rescue equipment to support victims of the deadly earthquake in Afghanistan.

The Foreign Ministry said Friday that “five Qatari Amiri Air Force aircraft carrying humanitarian aid provided by the Qatar Fund for Development arrived in the Afghan capital, Kabul.

The aid is part of the airlift being operated by the State of Qatar to help alleviate the suffering of the brotherly Afghan people following the earthquake that struck eastern Afghanistan. This brings the total number of aircraft to nine.”

Afghanistan suffered three devastatating earthquakes and aftershocks in the space of week leading to the death of more than six thousand people and displaced just as much. 

The mountain terrain had initially hindered search and rescue efforts in the first hours after the quake prompting the Afghan government to deploy helicopters to air lift survivors to safety.

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