- InduQin
After Nepal, Bhutan, now Afghanistan & Maldives pledge support to SAARC COVID-19 fund

New Delhi: Afghanistan and Maldives Saturday said they will be contributing $1 million and $2,00,000, respectively, to the ‘SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) Emergency Response Fund for COVID-19’, a day after Nepal and Bhutan announced their contributions.
“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 Ashraf Ghani tweeted Saturday.
Earlier in the day, the Maldives government also said they will be contributing to the fund that has been set up to address the challenges faced by SAARC countries in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
“We welcome PM @narendramodi’s initiative to create an COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund and its pledge of USD 10 million. Government of Maldives joins the initiative and pledge USD 200,000 to address issues emanating from COVID-19,” tweeted Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid.