KABUL - The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) in Afghanistan said on Monday that it has started distributing to locals a batch of food aid from China.

According to the WFP, the food aid, including wheat flour, yellow split peas, vegetable oil and salt, is expected to support 70,000 impoverished Afghan residents for two months in the war-ridden country.

WFP Afghanistan is facing a funding crisis this year, and China's aid is "very timely," said Liu Xuerong, head of the programme of WFP Afghanistan, adding that the office welcomes any form of contributions, either in kind or in cash, and is willing to develop cooperation with Chinese authorities in more fields, including training agricultural talents.

"China will continue to cooperate with the WFP to provide food assistance to the people of Afghanistan through the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund," said Chinese Ambassador to Afghanistan Wang Yu.

According to WFP Afghanistan's Situation Report in June, 15.3 million people in Afghanistan are projected to be acutely food-insecure between May and October 2023.