Islamabad, 2 September 2022 (TDI): First of the two series of humanitarian assistance flights from Qatar was received at Karachi Jinnah International Airport today.
Provincial Minister for Labour, Saeed Ghani, Provincial Minister for Social Welfare, Muhammad Sajid Jokhio, and Consul General of Qatar, Mishaal Al Ansari along with representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and National Disaster Management Authority received the aircraft carrying relief goods.
According to Qatar’s Internal Security Force (ISF), LEKHWIYA, the first flights of the air bridge allocated by the State of Qatar to support the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to confront the disaster of torrents and floods that struck large parts of Pakistan took place under the directives of the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
The ISF further revealed that the flight is accompanied by a team from the Qatar International Search and Rescue Group of Lekhwiya equipped with specialized mechanisms for search and rescue operations, as well as a medical team with integrated medical equipment to establish field hospitals to support those affected in flood-stricken areas.
The Qatari air bridge also includes sending pumps and special equipment to withdraw water and transport relief aid.
The relief assistance from these countries is welcomed with warmth and gratitude.
This humanitarian assistance was sent following the floods in Pakistan that have caused significant life and property damage.
Floods in Pakistan
In Pakistan, floods have claimed the lives of at least 1,191 people since June 2022, including 380 children.
Heavy monsoon rains that were unusually heavy and glaciers that began to melt after a severe heat wave contributed to the floods, which are all connected to climate change.
Since the floods in South Asia in 2017, it has caused the most fatalities worldwide and is regarded as the worst flood in the history of the nation.
Due to the flooding, Pakistan proclaimed a state of emergency on August 25. The nation’s one-third population was submerged by August 29, according to Pakistan’s minister of climate change, affecting 33 million people.
Pakistan-Qatar relations
Pakistan’s typically strong contacts with the Arab world have shaped Pakistan and Qatar’s relationship.
Qatar, like other adjacent gulf states, has a sizable Pakistani community of more than 150 000 people. They work in various sectors and send remittances throughout the year.
Qatar gave rapid aid to Pakistan during the 2010 floods. In the aftermath of the floods, Qatar is once again providing humanitarian supplies to Pakistan.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister also paid a visit to Qatar recently in August.
