As part of the EU's global coronavirus response, an "EU Humanitarian Air Bridge" flight departed on Monday from Maastricht, Netherlands bound for Kabul, Afghanistan, the EU said in a statement. The shipment includes "100 tons of life-saving materials to supply EU-funded humanitarian partners," the statement said.  

The EU is also providing a new aid package of €39 million to boost coronavirus response as well as to help victims of war, forced displacement and natural disasters in Afghanistan, the press release said.  

"At this difficult time, the EU continues to stand by the most vulnerable in Afghanistan. The coronavirus pandemic poses huge logistical challenges for the humanitarian community, while the needs remain high in critical areas. With this air bridge, the EU is delivering vital assistance such as food, nutrition, water, shelter to ensure aid reaches as many people as possible and to help support the people of Afghanistan,” said Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič. 

EU humanitarian projects in Afghanistan "focus on providing emergency healthcare, shelter, food assistance, access to clean water and sanitation facilities, as well as various protection services supporting women and children," according to the statement, adding: "Since 2019, almost €100 million in humanitarian support has been allocated to ensure critical relief assistance to the most vulnerable."

In addition, the" EU-funded Emergency Response Mechanism helps people recently displaced across Afghanistan. In 2019 and 2020, the Mechanism reached 400,000 people in all provinces through the delivery of aid such as clean water and access to sanitation services," the press release said.