Monday, March 23, 2020
Kabul (BNA) A day after Nepal and Bhutan pledged funds to the SAARC COVID-19 Emergency Fund, Afghanistan and Maldives too on Saturday pledged $1 million and $200000 respectively to it. The fund was announced by PM Narendra Modi during the video conference with SAARC leaders on March 15 to chalk out a common strategy to fight the spread of coronavirus.
India has pledged $10 million to the cause and aid in excess of $1 million has already been disbursed.
“The Afghan Government has just approved a contribution of One Million USD to the COVID-19 Emergency Fund as per the discussions in SAARC heads of nations VTC, believing in joint collaboration, and strengthening partnership to fight this pandemic,” Sediq Seddiqqi, spokesperson for Afghanistan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani tweeted Saturday.
PM, during the video conference, had called for nations to contribute voluntarily. The fund will be accessible to all SAARC member states.
