Tuesday, April 27, 2021
Kabul (BNA) President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani and the First Vice President Amrullah Saleh on Monday sent messages of support to the Indian government and its people as the country battles a COVID-19 ‘tsunami’. Infections spiked in India in the past 24 hours to another record high of more than 352,991 new cases.
“Our hearts go out to the Indian people & government as they fight the horrendous outbreak of COVID. On behalf of the Afghan people & government, we send our condolences to the families who lost their loved ones & wish a quick recovery to those who are suffering from the virus,” the President said in a tweet on Monday.
First VP Amrullah Saleh also sent a message of support and tweeted: “Our thoughts & prayers are with India, a true friend & ally of Afghanistan as it passes through difficult times combating deadly COVID-19. Wishing all Indian people more resilience & fast victory over the pandemic.”
Foreign Minister Mohammad Haneef Atmar also extended his support for India’s struggle against COVID-19. “India has the prayers and support of all those nations that it has assisted generously with COVID vaccines,” he added.
This comes after India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged all citizens to be vaccinated and exercise caution. He said on Sunday the “storm” of infections had shaken India, as the country set a new global record of the most number of COVID-19 infections in a day.
The United States said it will immediately provide raw materials for one of the COVID-19 vaccines, medical equipment and protective gear to help India respond. France, Britain and Germany also promised rapid support.
“We were confident, our spirits were up after successfully tackling the first wave, but this storm has shaken the nation,” Modi said in a radio address.
Yarzada
