MAZAR-I-SHARIF (Afghanistan), Aug 30 (APP): As part of the humanitarian air bridge, the first cargo flight of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) carrying medical supplies of World Health Organization (WHO) landed in Mazar-i-Sharif on Monday.<\/p>\n
The PK-234 (Boeing 777 AP-BHV), flew from Dubai and landed at the Mazar-i-Sharif Airport \u2013 the first international flight to Afghanistan\u2019s fourth largest city after the took over of the Taliban.<\/p>\n
As PIA is providing air transport for the operation, the WHO will be arranging logistics on the ground.<\/p>\n
Pakistan\u2019s ambassador to Afghanistan Mansoor Ahmed Khan confirmed that the PIA cargo flight took essential supplies of WHO to Mazar-i-Sharif in line with the Pakistan\u2019s role of making a \u2018humanitarian air bridge\u2019 in coordination with international agencies.<\/p>\n
\u201cFirst PIA Cargo flight with WHO medical supplies from Islamabad to Mazar Sharif today,\u201d the envoy tweet on Monday.<\/p>\n
He thanked PIA for its efforts in ensuring the supplies to Afghanistan.<\/p>\n
\u201cA humanitarian air bridge for essential supplies to Afghanistan in coordination with international agencies. Thanx PIA,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n
In view of the medical supplies running out within days in Afghanistan, the World Health Organization (WHO) had announced last week to establish an air bridge into the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif with the help of Pakistani authorities.<\/p>\n
Trauma kits and emergency supplies for hospitals, as well as medicines for treating chronic malnutrition in children are among priority items for Afghanistan, where 18 million people depend on aid, the WHO\u2019s regional emergency director said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat remains certain is that humanitarian needs are enormous and growing,\u201d Rick Brennan told a U.N. briefing, as reported by Reuters.<\/p>\n
\u201cRight now because of security concerns and several other operational considerations, Kabul airport is not going to be an option for the next week at least,\u201d he said, speaking from Cairo.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of the problems we have in Afghanistan right now is there is no civil aviation authority functioning, but we are working with Pakistan particularly in the context of Mazar-i-Sharif airport. Because they can work with contacts on the ground so that all the necessary steps to land an aircraft, to land a cargo aircraft, can be put in place,\u201d Brennan said.<\/p>\n
Insurance rates for flying into Afghanistan had \u201cskyrocketed at prices we have never seen before\u201d in the 12 hours since the blast, Brennan said.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo we are trying to jump through that hoop at the moment and once we have addressed that we will hopefully be airborne in the next 48 to 72 hours.\u201d<\/p>\n
Some 97% of the health facilities across Afghanistan monitored by WHO are functioning, he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe more sobering news is these health facilities are rapidly running out of medical supplies and WHO is not currently able to meet these needs.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
MAZAR-I-SHARIF (Afghanistan), Aug 30 (APP): As part of the humanitarian air bridge, the first cargo flight of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) carrying medical supplies of World Health Organization (WHO) landed in Mazar-i-Sharif on Monday. The PK-234 (Boeing 777 AP-BHV), flew from Dubai and landed at […]<\/p>\n
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