Afghanistan Lauds COVID-19 Medical Care for Nationals in Iran

Director-General of the Iranian Interior Ministry’s Department of Foreign Nationals and Migrants, Mahdi Mahmoudi, says the Islamic Republic’s effective humanitarian measures in the treatment of foreigners infected with the novel coronavirus have drawn appreciation from Kabul.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan has commended the Islamic Republic and the governors of Iran’s border provinces several times for treating the Afghan patients and offering humanitarian supports for the migrants after the outbreak of COVID-19, he noted.

The consulates of Afghanistan in Iran’s provinces of Khorasan Razavi and Sistan and Balouchestan have sent messages of gratitude to the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Mahmoudi said.

The official emphasized that Iran pursues the policy of offering medial services and healthcare support for all people without discrimination, noting that the whole foreign citizens infected with coronavirus in Iran receive free treatment at the hospitals across the country.

Since the outbreak of coronavirus in Iran in February, the Afghan migrants and residents in the country have received free medical supplies such as disinfectants, masks and gloves, he noted.

According to Mahmoudi, around 6,000 foreign families in Iran have received financial assistance and personal protective kits from the Iranian government, including masks, eyewear, gloves, disinfectants, sanitary gel, and medicines.

In April, the Iranian Defense Ministry provided Afghanistan with a consignment of coronavirus diagnostic test kits and voiced readiness to share the experiences gained by the Iranian military forces with Afghanistan.

Iran has hosted Afghan refugees since the late 1970s following the occupation of their country by the Soviet Union troops. Although many of those refugees have returned to their country voluntarily, there are still hundreds of thousands of documented and undocumented Afghans in Iran.