ISLAMABAD, Nov 7: The World Food Programme on Wednesday began food airlifting from Pakistan to end serious food shortage in northern Afghanistan.

Speaking at a news conference, WFP spokesperson Khalid Mansour said that two Ilyushin cargo aircraft were deployed on Wednesday to airlift more than 2000 metric tons of food from northern Pakistan to Turkmenabad from where it would be transported to remote areas of northern Afghanistan.

One of the aircraft, which are leased by WFP, flew from Quetta with 45 tons of wheat on Wednesday. The second aircraft was expected to start deliveries on Thursday, the spokesperson said.

About the costs of the operation, Mr Mansour said the United States had announced that it would provide US$2 million to WFP to cover the cost of the operation.

He said that Northern Afghanistan was the hunger belt of the country where the WFP was seeking to help about three million people stay alive until the harvest next year. WFP stocks in Turkmenistan were running dangerously low and that was why it was decided as an emergency measure to move some food there from stocks in Quetta until scheduled deliveries by road from Iran reach Turkmenistan, he added.

According to a press release issued by the food agency, WFP needs to airlift 7,000 tons of wheat from Quetta to Turkmenabad but due to limited resources only 2000 tons could be airlifted in the coming few days.