24 Afghan children arrive in Xinjiang for free cardiac surgery

Twenty-four Afghan children with congenital heart diseases on Wednesday arrived in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region for free surgery.

They are the first group of children patients to come to China after the Belt and Road Fraternity Fund (BRFF), under the Chinese Red Cross Foundation (CRCF), kicked off the second phase of the "Angels Tour" program targeting Afghan children.

Liu Jingjing, a director with the Red Cross Society of China, said a team of illustrious specialists drawn from two Beijing hospitals will conduct the surgeries.

The program's second phase aims to send 150 Afghan children suffering from congenital heart diseases to Xinjiang, which neighbors the Central Asian nation, for surgery.

Launched in 2017, the program has brought 100 Afghan children patients to China for cardiac surgery. All of them have recovered well from their illnesses after the treatment, according to the CRCF.

Launched in 2017, the BRFF has been engaged in a number of humanitarian aid programs in countries along the Belt and Road.