The Turkish Red Crescent (Kızılay) on Monday distributed food aid to 350 families in Afghanistan's Bamyan province.
The ceremony held at the Afghan Red Crescent in Bamyan was attended by Turkey's Ambassador to Kabul Cihad Erginay, Bamyan Governor Mevlevi Abdullah Serhadi, and officials from the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) and Turkish Red Crescent.
After the ceremony, some of the materials carried by the fourth "Kidness Train," which were sent from Turkey to Afghanistan to contribute to meeting humanitarian needs, were delivered to 350 families living here.
The families were given 50 kilograms (110 pounds) of flour, 1 blanket and 22-kilogram food parcels, each containing legumes, sugar, pasta, oil and tea.
Speaking at the ceremony, Erginay stated that the materials brought by the "Kindness Trains," which were organized under the leadership of the Interior Ministry's Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) and sent to Afghanistan, were delivered to all parts of the country, upon the instruction of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
He stated that Turkey has been helping the Afghan people for many years and has focused on humanitarian aid activities since August 2021.
"The most symbolic of these is the humanitarian aid, where all the aid was collected and sent to Afghanistan via trains, upon the instructions of our president. The fourth one came last. It was carrying more than a thousand tons of humanitarian aid. Four trains carried a total of 5,000 tons of humanitarian aid and brought it to Afghanistan."
Stating that the aid provided by Turkey and the Turkish agencies to the people of Afghanistan will continue, he added: "In today's conditions, what Afghanistan needs is humanitarian aid. That's why we're focusing on humanitarian aid these days. In the future, we will continue to provide assistance in different areas, within our means, as conditions permit. Turkey always stands by Afghanistan and the Afghan people and will continue to do so."
The first "Kindness Train," which departed from Turkey to contribute to the mitigation of the humanitarian crisis that the Afghan people were in, arrived in Afghanistan on Feb. 7 and the distribution of aid to all provinces had begun. The aid that comes with the fourth "Kindness Train" continues to be distributed in 34 provinces of the country.
Aid groups describe Afghanistan's plight as one of the world's most rapidly growing humanitarian crises. According to the United Nations, half the population now faces acute hunger, over 9 million people have been displaced and millions of children are out of school.
Previously, the U.N. and its partners launched a $4.4 billion funding appeal to avert a humanitarian catastrophe in Afghanistan in 2022. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has also warned that millions of Afghans are on the verge of death, urging the international community to release Afghanistan's frozen assets and jump-start its banking system.
The Turkish government has taken a pragmatic approach to the events in Afghanistan, including the emergence of the Taliban after the chaotic withdrawal of U.S. forces. Underlining that new realities have emerged in the country, Ankara said it would move forward accordingly while keeping communication with all relevant leaders open.
NATO member Turkey maintained its embassy in Afghanistan after Western countries withdrew following the Taliban takeover and have urged those countries to step up engagement. At the same time, it said it will only work fully with the Taliban if they form a more inclusive administration.