KABUL, Oct. 29 -- The Chinese embassy in Afghanistan said Sunday that China will provide Afghanistan with 4,242 tons of rice which is emergency food aid to the militancy-hit country.

Chinese Charge d'Affaires Zhang Zhixin together with Afghan acting State Minister for Disaster Management and Humanitarian Affairs Mohammad Aslam Sayas attended a handover ceremony here on Sunday morning.

The Chinese side handed over the first batch of 502 tons of rice, the rest will arrive in Kabul before March 2024.

Zhang told reporters at the ceremony that as winter draws near, some Afghans, particularly in rural areas, are faced with difficulties and that the latest food aid donated by China will help the needy people to receive assistance before winter.

As a friendly and close neighbor to Afghanistan, China hopes to work with the Afghan government in helping the Afghan people get through the food crisis, he said.

Sayas told reporters that the first batch of the donated food will be transported to five most vulnerable provinces in the mountainous country.

He also expressed gratitude to China for its cooperation with the government and the people of Afghanistan.