Pakistan sent 50,000 winter tents to Earthquake Victims in Turkey
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Monday directed that manufacturing and supply of remaining 50,000 winter tents to Turkiye should be completed by March 23 and delivery should be made by air.
He was chairing a meeting here to review ongoing assistance activities of Pakistan for earthquake affectees of Turkiye and Syria.
He said while maintaining quality, new tents should be manufactured at a low cost and third-party validation should be ensured to assess their standard.
He directed the Customs authorities to make special arrangements for an immediate supply of humanitarian assistance to Turkiye.
He said Pakistan was assisting earthquake affectees in Syria on a humanitarian basis.
He ordered that fund-raising for earthquake affectees of Turkiye and Syria in educational institutions should be stepped up.
Meeting was informed in detail about assistance sent to victims of natural disaster in two countries.
It was told that Pakistan had so far sent a total of more than 8,000 winter tents and over 37,000 blankets for earthquake victims.
About eight to 15 tonnes of humanitarian assistance was being sent daily to Turkiye and Syria on flights of Pakistan International Airlines.
Participants were told that a ship of Pakistan Navy carrying 1000 tonnes of assistance goods for two countries would depart on February 28. Assistance would include generators, dry rations, medicines for victims in Syria, and winter tents and blankets for affectees in Turkiye.
Besides that, a caravan of 21 trucks of National Logistics Cell (NLC) reached the city of Malatya in Turkiye on February 25.
National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Chairman Lt General Inam Haider Malik informed meeting about the manufacturing of winter tents.
While giving details of countrywide humanitarian campaign, it was told that assistance gathered by different philanthropic and humanitarian organizations at collection centers of NDMA was being sent to Turkiye and Syria through land and air routes.
Prime minister was told about details of rations sent to affected countries.
Pakistan’s ambassadors to Turkiye and Syria also apprised meeting about assistance activities. Envoy in Syria told about positive response to humanitarian assistance sent by Pakistan and the collection of assistance and 20 million Syrian pounds by children of Pakistan International School in Syria.
Ambassador in Turkiye said winter tents and blankets were urgently needed there. He said Pakistan’s embassy in Turkiye was in constant contact with Turkish authorities to keep assistance activities well organized.
Federal ministers Ishaq Dar, Ahsan Iqbal, and Marriyum Aurangzeb, Special Assistant to PM Tariq Fatimi and high-ranking officers attended meeting.