Afghanistan was rocked by a strong 6.1 magnitude earthquake earlier this week, resulting in the death of more than 1,000 people. India, an eastern neighbour, has come to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan’s rescue.

India has adopted a dual approach to deliver aid to people in eastern Afghanistan, who have taken the hardest blow of the earthquake. The approach includes flying emergency relief and deploying technical staff.

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According to a statement released by the Ministry Of External Affairs on Friday said that 27 tons of relief material has been sent to Afghanistan. This includes family ridge tents, sleeping bags, blankets and sleeping mats.

“India, a true first responder”, India’s External Affairs minister S. Jaishankar wrote in a social media post. India’s MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi shared photos of the consignment before it was deployed.

The relief consignment will be handed over to the United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the Afghan Red Crescent Society in Kabul, the statement said.

The technical team has been deployed to its embassy in the Afghan capital to coordinate the delivery of humanitarian assistance, the statement said. The embassy has been vacant since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August last year.

“As always, India stands in solidarity with the people of Afghanistan, with whom we share centuries-old ties, and remains firmly committed to providing immediate relief assistance for the Afghan people,” the statement said.

Also See: In pics: Strong earthquake rattles eastern Afghanistan, kills over 1,000

Residents in the hardest-hit district appeared to largely be on their own in trying to survive after the quake, with the Taliban-led government and the international aid community struggling to bring in help.

Even though India’s diplomatic presence has been non-existent in Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover, New Delhi has sent 20,000 tons of wheat, 13 tons of medicines, 500,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines and winter clothing to Afghanistan during shortages.