Turkiye's 2nd 'charity train' sets off for Afghanistan with over 920 tons of aid

By Burak Bir

ANKARA (AA) - A second "charity train" carrying 921 tons of emergency goods to Afghanistan under the coordination of Turkiye's government, departed from the Turkish capital Ankara on Friday.

Bound for a journey of 4,168 kilometers (3,590 miles), this shipment is carrying aid from 16 humanitarian organizations on its 45 wagons, coordinated by the state-run Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD).

It will pass through Iran and Turkmenistan before arriving in Afghanistan with the vital delivery of relief materials, said Hasan Pezuk, head of Turkish State Railways (TCDD), attending the sendoff.

Among the attendees were senior Turkish officials, including the deputy ministers of interior and transportation, along with representatives from humanitarian organizations, AFAD, and Turkiye's Religious Affairs Directorate (Diyanet).

On Jan. 27, two trains with 47 wagons carrying 750 tons of aid left Ankara, reaching Afghanistan on Feb. 7.

According to UN humanitarian coordination office OCHA, half of Afghanistan's population now faces acute hunger, while over 9 million people have been displaced and millions of children are out of school.

The UN and its partners had previously launched a $4.4 billion funding appeal to avert a humanitarian catastrophe in Afghanistan in 2022.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has also warned that millions of Afghans are on the verge of death, urging the international community to release the conflict-torn country's frozen assets and jump-start its banking system.