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India on Thursday sent 7.5 tonnes of life-saving cancer medicines to Afghanistan, underlining its commitment to supporting partner nations in times of need.

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, in a post on X, said, “India delivers 7.5 tons of life-saving cancer medicines to Kabul to address the urgent needs of cancer patients. India remains committed to supporting the friendly people of Afghanistan.” The shipment comes amid shortages of essential medicines in the country.

 

The delivery is part of a broader humanitarian engagement between India and Afghanistan. In December 2025, Afghan Public Health Minister Mawlawi Noor Jalal Jalali met with MoS Prataprao Jadhav to discuss cooperation in traditional medicine systems, including Ayurveda, Unani, and Homoeopathy.

The discussions, held alongside the WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine, explored avenues for collaboration in education, research, regulation, and healthcare delivery.

Union Health Minister JP Nadda also met Minister Jalali to reaffirm India’s long-term commitment to humanitarian and healthcare support for Afghanistan. The symbolic handover of cancer medicines and vaccines reflects India’s pledge to meet the country’s pressing medical needs.

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This is not the first such shipment. In November 2025, India had sent 73 tonnes of life-saving medicines, vaccines, and essential supplements to Kabul.

Earlier, in October 2025, following a series of devastating earthquakes in eastern Afghanistan that claimed over 800 lives and injured more than 2,800 people, India extended urgent relief assistance. The 6.3-magnitude tremor and its aftershocks, ranging between 4 and 5 on the Richter scale, had impacted the region and surrounding areas, including parts of Pakistan.

Through consistent medical and humanitarian support, India aims to bolster Afghanistan’s healthcare infrastructure and ensure access to critical treatment for vulnerable populations. The latest shipment of cancer medicines reinforces bilateral engagement and highlights India’s continued role in humanitarian assistance for its neighbour.