India on Friday delivered the second consignment of humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan following a devastating earthquake that ripped through the nation. Over 1,000 have been killed and another 1,500 injured in the 6.1 magnitude quake that shook Afghanistan on June 22.

Ministry of External Affairs Joint Secretary (PAI) JP Singh travelled to Afghanistan on June 23 to deliver the second batch of humanitarian aid after the first was delivered on Thursday. The relief assistance includes essential items like blankets, sleeping bags, ridge tents, and mats. The aid was handed over to Taliban representatives by Singh, the MEA informed.

On Thursday, as an initial response, India sent a technical team to Kabul to coordinate the first delivery of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan. The MEA said that the team was deployed to its Kabul embassy, which has been vacant since August last year. The deployment is a part of India's efforts to "continue its engagement with the people of Afghanistan," the MEA said in a statement.

The Taliban have welcomed India's support to help the earthquake-affected population. In a statement, the Taliban interim government spokesperson Abdul Wahab Balkhi thanked New Delhi for its decision to "return diplomats and technical team to their Kabul embassy."

The Kabul embassy remained mostly vacant after the US withdrawal last year. However, New Delhi has continued to uphold its solidarity with the Afghan population, sending over 20,000 tonnes of wheat, 13 tonnes of medicine, winter clothing, and over 5 lakh doses of COVID-19 vaccines as an aid.

The Taliban regime is struggling to make ends meet for its population struck by the most deadly natural calamity in years, the Associated Press reported. In addition, the heavy downpour has made it difficult for relief workers to access worst-hit districts in eastern Afghanistan. On the bright side, most search operations were completed by Wednesday and UN humanitarian workers rushed to aid Taliban rescuers to retrieve those stuck under dire conditions. Meanwhile, critically needed items arrived in Kabul to be distributed among 4,200 survivors in Giyan, Bermal, Zerok, and Nika districts in the Patrika and Khost provinces. The UN Humanitarian aid workers set up three supply hubs in three districts to expedite the delivery process.

For the unversed, a 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck Afghanistan on June 22, killing at least 1,150 and injuring over 1,500. The rescuers overseeing operations have, however, predicted that the death toll may rise in the days to come. At least 121 children were among the deceased, Mohamed Ayoya, Representative for UN Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF).