India today extended the second shipment of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, severely impacted by the earthquake that occurred this week in the country’s east.

The second aid shipment in two days arrived in Kabul, following a terrible earthquake that killed more than 1,000 people.

“Second consignment of India’s earthquake relief assistance for the people of Afghanistan reaches Kabul,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in a tweet.

Essential supplies including family ridge tents, sleeping bags, blankets, and mats are part of the aid effort.

The Afghan Red Crescent Society (ARCS) and the United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) in Kabul would receive the assistance shipment.

“In the wake of the tragic earthquake that struck Afghanistan on June 22, 2022 causing massive destruction and loss of precious lives, the Government of India, as a true first responder, has dispatched 27 tons of emergency relief assistance in two flights for the people of Afghanistan,” the MEA said in a statement.

“As always, India stands in solidarity with the people of Afghanistan, with whom we share centuries-old ties, and remains firmly committed to provide immediate relief assistance for the Afghan people,” the statement added.

India delivered the first shipment to aid the earthquake-affected Afghan people on Thursday. In order to coordinate the operations of the many parties involved in the distribution of humanitarian supplies, India also sent a team to its embassy in Kabul.

The Taliban government has praised India’s decision to send its technical team back to Afghanistan so that humanitarian aid may continue.

“Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (lEA) welcomes decision by India to return diplomats & technical team to their embassy in Kabul to continue their relations with the Afghan people and their humanitarian assistance,” Taliban spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi said in a statement on Thursday.

Significant relief efforts are still being made after a massive earthquake that devastated the region of Paktika early on Wednesday. Around 1000 people are said to have died so far in the districts of Barmal and Giyan in the province of Paktika, as well as the Spera district in the province of Khost. Additionally, in three of the six most hit districts—Barmal, Giyan, and Spera—at least 1,455 people have been hurt, many of them critically. Around 1,500 residences in Paktika province’s Giyan area have been demolished or severely damaged.

On June 22, the World Health Organization (WHO) sent 10 tons of medical supplies to the impacted areas, enough for 5,400 procedures and medical care for 36,000 individuals over the course of three months.