Russia sends humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan

KABUL, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Russia sent 16 tons of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan on Wednesday, said a statement of Afghanistan's State Ministry for Disaster Management and Humanitarian Affairs released here.

A plane that carried the assistance and landed at the Kabul airport was received by Ghulam Ghous Nasiri, the acting state minister for disaster management and humanitarian affairs, the statement added.

Expressing gratitude to Russia, Nasiri said that the assistances included 1,000 blankets, 30 pieces of tents and medicines. The official also noted that another plane of Russian aid would arrive next week.

A devastating earthquake, which struck parts of Afghanistan on June 22 claimed at least 1,000 lives and left thousands of others homeless in the war-torn country. Moreover, monsoon rains and flooding have reportedly killed more than 100 people and rendered hundreds of others homeless in several provinces over the past couple of weeks.

Several countries including Pakistan, Iran, China, Russia, Uzbekistan, United States, Qatar and Turkey have sent humanitarian assistances to the needy and quake-affected families in Afghanistan.