A third "charity train" carrying 994 tons of emergency relief aid to Afghanistan under the coordination of Turkey's government departed from the Turkish capital Ankara on Friday.

Bound for a journey of 4,168 kilometers (3,590 miles), the latest shipment is carrying aid from 16 humanitarian groups in its 62 wagons, coordinated by the state-run Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD).

Among the attendees at the train’s sendoff were senior Turkish officials, including the deputy interior minister, along with representatives from humanitarian groups, the disaster agency, and Turkey's Religious Affairs Directorate.

A disaster agency statement said the train is carrying 994 tons of food, clothing, blankets, health, personal care items and other critical aid.

On Jan. 27, two trains with 47 wagons carrying 750 tons of aid left Ankara and reached Afghanistan on Feb. 7.

On Feb. 11, a second train with 45 wagons carrying 921 tons of emergency aid also left Ankara and reached Afghanistan on Feb. 23.

According to UN humanitarian coordination office OCHA, half of Afghanistan's population now faces acute hunger, while over 9 million people have been displaced and millions of children are out of school.

The UN and its partners had previously launched a $4.4 billion funding appeal to avert a humanitarian catastrophe in Afghanistan.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has also warned that millions of Afghans are on the verge of death, urging the international community to release the conflict-torn country's frozen assets and jump-start its banking system./aa