The Y-20 transport aircraft arrives at Herat Airport, Afghanistan, on October 15, 2023, local time. (Photo by Shen Zaiqiang)
HERAT, Oct. 16 -- Two Y-20 transport aircraft of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force arrived at Herat Airport, Afghanistan, on October 15, carrying humanitarian relief supplies provided by the Chinese government, the Chinese PLA and the Red Cross Society of China. Relief supplies include quilts, outdoor jackets, tents, folding beds and other items urgently needed by the victims of disasters in Afghanistan.
A 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck near the Afghan city of Herat on October 15. It was the fourth earthquake with a magnitude above 6 that occurred after October 7, and the strongest one. The series of earthquakes have caused thousands of casualties so far.
On October 12, Xu Wei, spokesperson for the China International Development Cooperation Agency, said that the Chinese government provided RMB30 million (about USD4.1 million) in emergency humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, to help in its post-earthquake relief efforts.
Upon receiving the order, an aviation unit under the PLA Air Force dispatched two Y-20 transport aircraft, which flew to Wuhan and Urumqi in succession to load a total of nearly 50 tons of humanitarian relief supplies, and then departed for Afghanistan from the Diwopu Airport, Urumqi, at 8:35 on October 15 Beijing time.
It is the second time the Y-20 aircraft has delivered post-earthquake relief supplies to Afghanistan since June 2022.
Airport workers load humanitarian relief supplies onto a Y-20 transport aircraft of the PLA Air Force on a rainy night. (Photo by Li Xiaoqi)