The President of Türkiye has instructed the country’s railway administration to send Turkish humanitarian aid to Afghanistan via rail.
According to reports from some Turkish media outlets, Türkiye has decided to deliver its aid to Afghanistan through Iran and Turkmenistan by the end of this year.
The Turkish Presidential decree on this matter has been published in the country’s official newspaper, and the Turkish State Railways has been assigned to implement it.
The Ministry of Economy of the Islamic Emirate said Türkiye’s aid to the people of Afghanistan is impactful and that the relations between Kabul and Ankara as developing.
Abdul Latif Nazari, the deputy minister of Economy, said, “The aid from the Turkish government can play an important role in improving the economic situation of the Afghan people, and fortunately, the relations between the two countries are developing and expanding every day.”
Meanwhile, several impoverished families in the capital are calling on officials to assist those facing economic difficulties.
Younis, a 58-year-old who works with a handcart, said: “The government should provide us with job opportunities and support us; this is our request from the government.”
Economic experts said that foreign aid to the people of Afghanistan is effective in reducing poverty in the short term but emphasized that this aid should be spent on infrastructure and job creation projects.
Shaker Yaqoubi, an economic expert, said: “The aid being provided is temporary and cannot be beneficial to the economy in the long term; it can only reduce the severity of the poverty crisis in the short term.”
Abdul Zahoor Madbar, another economic expert, added: “If foreign aid is allocated to consumption and depreciation, it will not impact poverty. Therefore, in addition to consumption, there needs to be an emphasis on productive economics.”
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) stated in its latest report that from May to October of this year, 12.4 million people in Afghanistan will face food insecurity.
According to the report, 23.7 million people in Afghanistan will need humanitarian assistance in 2024.