Iran saddened by Afghan earthquake

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
24 Jun 2022 23:00

In the aftermath of a deadly earthquake that killed hundreds of Afghans, the Iranian Foreign Minister affirms that consignments of humanitarian supplies will swiftly be delivered to Afghanistan.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has conveyed solitude towards the Afghan people in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake that killed hundreds of Afghans.

In a tweet, Amir-Abdollahian said: “In the tradition of neighborliness and brotherliness, we stand by the honorable and patient people of Afghanistan in these tough times.”

“I offer condolences to the families of the earthquake’s victims and pray for divine mercy for the deceased and speedy recovery for those wounded. The Islamic Republic of Iran’s consignments of humanitarian supplies will swiftly be delivered to Afghanistan,” he added.

On Thursday, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi expressed his support for Afghanistan from Khorasan saying that "Iran has been and remains a pioneer in providing humanitarian aid and will provide aid to the Afghan people, who have suffered from the recent earthquake."

It is worth noting that the Iranian embassy in Afghanistan announced, on Wednesday, that Tehran sent two first-aid aircraft to the areas affected by the devastating earthquake, which killed 1,500 people and injured more than 2,000.

The deadly earthquake on Wednesday dealt another blow to the Afghan people. Years of US occupation, recurring drought, and a severe economic crisis have left more than 24 million Afghans in need of humanitarian assistance, a 6 million increase since the beginning of 2021 after the hasty US withdrawal.

This is happening as Afghanistan renewed its appeal to the United States to release assets frozen in US banks, citing the need to respond to the devastating earthquake.

In February, Biden unfroze approximately $7 billion of those funds, claiming that they would be used for humanitarian relief in Afghanistan and distributed to families of 9/11 victims.

This criticized action denied Afghanistan access to approximately $2.5 billion.