In the first high-level visit from India to Afghanistan since the Taliban's capture of power, an Indian team headed by a senior diplomat is currently on a visit to Kabul to oversee the delivery of New Delhi's humanitarian assistance to the war-torn country.
The delegation on Thursday met the senior Taliban leadership and visited Indian projects. It also overviewed the delivery operations of India's humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan.
In response to the humanitarian needs of the Afghan people, India extended assistance to the Afghan people and it has already dispatched several shipments of humanitarian assistance consisting of 20,000 metric tonnes of wheat, 13 tonnes of medicines, 500,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine and winter clothing.
These consignments were handed over to the Indira Gandhi Children Hospital in Kabul and UN agencies including the World Health Organisation and the World Food Programme.
The team also visited the Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health in Kabul.
Furthermore, India is in the process of shipping more medical assistance and foodgrains to Afghanistan.
"In continuation with our developmental partnership with Afghan brethren, we have gifted one million doses of India-made COVAXIN to Iran to administer to Afghan refugees in Iran. We have also assisted UNICEF by supplying almost 60 million doses of polio vaccine and two tons of essential medicines," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.
India has been concerned about the developments in Afghanistan.
It hosted a regional dialogue on Afghanistan in November that was attended by NSAs of Russia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
A declaration released at the end of the Delhi Regional Security Dialogue on Afghanistan said Afghan territory should not be used for sheltering, training, planning or financing any terrorist acts.
India has been pitching for providing unimpeded humanitarian aid to Afghanistan to address the unfolding humanitarian crisis in the country.
It has not yet recognised the Taliban regime in Afghanistan.