Daily Times

Several countries have pledged to extend their support to the victims of floods in Pakistan and expressed deep sorrow over the casualties and massive destruction of the property. Secretary-General of the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Hissein Brahim Taha in a statement offered sincere condolences to the government and people of Pakistan.

He also expressed sympathies to the victims of the floods, and appealed to all member states, Islamic humanitarian organizations and the international community at large for emergency assistance to mitigate the suffering of the affected populations.

Turkey is also extending relief to Pakistanis affected by the floods and will send an aircraft carrying humanitarian aid to Pakistan. In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkey on Saturday said, “We are deeply saddened that the severe flood disasters, which are ongoing and intensified in the last few days in Pakistan, claimed the lives of many Pakistani brothers and sisters, and caused extensive damage.”

Meanwhile, the UK, in response to the disaster, will provide up to £1.5m support the relief effort. The UN is carrying out a needs assessment over the weekend, and a UN appeal is expected to be launched on Tuesday.

Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister of State for South and Central Asia, North Africa, UN and the Commonwealth said, “The floods in Pakistan have devastated local communities and the UK is providing up to £1.5 million to help the immediate aftermath. We are witnessing the catastrophe that climate change can cause and how it impacts the most vulnerable.” The UK also provides assistance to Pakistan through international organisations working directly with the victims of the disaster, including the World Bank and the United Nations.

President of Iran Syed Ebrahim Raisi on Saturday during a telephone call with Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, conveyed solidarity with Pakistan and assured of all-out support in relief assistance in all areas. The Prime Minister thanked President Raisi for his sympathy on the flood situation, stressing that Pakistan had been enduring severe monsoon weather since mid-June 2022, with many areas receiving 4-5 times more rain.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif underlined that the humanitarian situation was being compounded by drastic impact on infrastructure including roads and bridges, which was impeding both the passage of people to safer locations and the delivery of aid.