According to the Indian Media, After mid-August, when Kabul fell to the Taliban, India has supplied 5 lakh doses of Covid vaccines and 1.6 tonnes of medical assistance to Afghanistan through the World Health Organization (WHO).

“As part of our ongoing humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people, India supplied the third batch of medical assistance consisting of two tonnes of essential life-saving medicines to Afghanistan today. The same was handed over to the Indira Gandhi Hospital, Kabul,” the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement on Friday.

The MEA said “India stands committed to continue our special relationship with the people of Afghanistan and provide them humanitarian assistance”.

“In coming weeks, we would be supplying more batches of humanitarian assistance consisting of medicines and foodgrains to Afghanistan,” the statement said.

On January 1, for the first time since Kabul fell to the Taliban, India sent 5 lakh doses of Covaxin to Afghanistan as a “gift for the people of Afghanistan”. While this was the first tranche of vaccines from India since mid-August, this was not the first since vaccination diplomacy began.

On February 7, the first consignment of 5 lakh doses of Covishield was given for the people of Afghanistan, followed by another 4.68 lakh doses through the Covax facility on March 6.