National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Chairman and national coordinator National Flood Response and Coordination Centre (NFRCC) on Tuesday urged the nation to join hands with the government to support three million flood affectees as the devastation was colossal and unmanageable.
In a joint presser flanked by Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Prof Ahsan Iqbal, Chairman NDMA Lieutenant General Akhtar Nawaz Satti and national coordinator NFRCC Major General Muhammad Zafar Iqbal briefed the nation on the ongoing flood response, relief and rehabilitation efforts in the impacted areas across the country.
Chairman NDMA Lt Gen Satti said the recent monsoon rainfall in the country in general and in Sindh and Balochistan, in particular, caused huge devastation that no country or government alone could handle.
The government through the UN appealed for global support when the UN Secretary-General came to Pakistan and visited the flood-hit areas and strongly appealed to the international community to support Pakistan’s flood victims.
The government through its embassies abroad and foreign embassies within the country and with the help of media briefed the international community on the gravity of the situation and its need to address the crisis, he added.
Gen Satti told the media that the efforts resulted into the flow of relief items and assistance and so far 114 relief flights had been received from 120 countries and 66 of them were received by NDMA and 13 more were scheduled in the next 10 days.
He informed that relief items arrived in 48 of the relief flights and were directly dispatched by UNICEF, Red Crescent, USAID, and UNHCR. The NDMA Chair mentioned that out of the total flights 13 were received from Turkiye, 30 from UAE, five from China, four Oman, three from Qatar and one flight each from other countries.
“All flights do not bring relief goods rather some of them bring delegations, and some logistics equipment for pre-deployment.” The relief items received so far were 16,938 tents, 3,000 tarpaulins, 37,000 blankets, 11,000 food packs, 182 tonnes of dry food, 30 tonnes of medicines, and 58 boats, he said, adding, “ Moreover, other than this two trains from Turkiye reached at Dalbandin and six more are on way carrying tents, blankets and ration bags.”
He further mentioned that from Tajikistan a relief convoy of 86 trucks reached Pakistan from Torkham Border carrying relief goods including tents, food, blankets, a few types of cement, CGI sheets and household use charcoal. Moreover, medical teams comprising doctors and medicines from Turkiye, Palestine, and Qatar had reached the country providing medical relief in flood hit areas, he added.
Denmark had provided a water purification plant that was working in Sindh whereas France provided 75 small level dewatering pumps whereas a relief ship from Oman carrying relief goods reached Karachi on Monday, the NDMA chair told the media.
He informed that the federal government had shared proper guidelines to NDMA for disbursement of relief goods that comprised of total population of affected districts, number of flood-stricken people, their needs, data of already provided assistance, expenditure of logistics, and most importantly transparency in distribution that was sending the relief to the deserving.
“In this regard, Sindh province is the most affected and therefore 55-60% relief equipment has been provided to Sindh and furthermoreher more to be sent in the same ratio. The next is Balochistan and 15-20 per cent relief items are sent there and the remaining is being sent to KP, Punjab, GB.”
After custom clearance, he said the relief goods were handed over to the Pakistan Army who distributed this equipment at district and tehsil levels in coordination with the district administration whereas a detailed record was maintained of these goods.
“It’s an important responsibility and NDMA is striving day and night to ensure clear distribution of relief goods in cooperation with concerned authorities.” Other than aid from friendly countries, he underlined that the NDMA is also providing tents, mosquito nets, ration packs, dewatering pumps, and pure drinking water after procurement to affected areas through Pakistan Army and PDMA representatives.
He noted that the federal and provincial government, departments and nation were collectively fighting this crisis with all out resources deployed but the affected population needed more assistance as the scale of the disaster was very high. “The most important requirements were of t , especially for children below 5 years, medicines, health services, vaccines, field hospitals, and importantly in the upcoming winter season blankets and warm clothes were seriously needed.
“I thank all the countries that helped in the need of hour on behalf of federal government, NDMA, and nation that helped alleviate the problems of flood affectees.” He added that the affected needed more assistance as highlighted by the Minister and therefore he appealed all Pakistanis, philanthropists and overseas to donate for flood victims as their small donation could help save a precious life.