ISLAMABAD/KARACHI: As part of continuous relief assistance on government directions to quake-affected people of Turkiye and Syria, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Saturday sailed off another ship PNS Moawin with 550 tonnes of relief goods from Karachi.

NDMA Chairman Lt Gen Inam Haider Malik, Turkish Consul Ge­­neral Jamal Sangu and Pakistan Fleet Commander Rear Admiral Faisal Abbasi witnessed the departure ceremony of the ship.

The Turkish consul general conveyed gratitude to the government and people of Pakistan for extending humanitarian support in the aftermath of the deadly earthquake.

The ship carried a 367-tonne consignment of 2,625 family-sized fire-resistant winterised tents and 38,370 blankets for quake-affected Turkiye and another 179-tonne consignment of 22,000 blankets and 144 tonnes of essential items of daily use for Syria.

The NDMA coordinated ship carrying aid for the two countries, which departed from Karachi would reach Mersin port of Turkiye on March 23 and Lattakia port of Syria on March 31.

PNS Moawin likely to reach Turkish port on 23rd, Syrian port on 31st

Earlier on Feb 28, the NDMA sailed off the first sea cargo of 1,000 tonnes for both countries through PNS Nasr that would be received at destination in Syria on March 13, and March 20, in Turkiye.

So far, Pakistan through the NDMA had dispatched 2,812 tonnes of relief assistance to both countries containing winterised family tents, blankets, ration packs and other essential items.

The NDMA was spearheading massive relief operations by using every possible available means of transportation to maximise the assistance for the victims of the affected countries.

Sindh assured of technological help

Also, the NDMA chairman on Saturday met Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah at CM House where they agreed to strengthen coordination between the NDMA and provincial disaster management authority so that proper planning could be made to mitigate the impact of the natural disaster.

They also agreed that modern technology would be adopted for disaster management.

The NDMA chairman said his organisation had developed a close coordination with international agencies working to forecast weather and its related impacts and added that the authority was installing weather-related latest equipment and gadgets to assess weather and patterns of the disasters during the last few decades.

He told the chief minister that the provincial disaster management authorities would also be connected with their systems along with sharing daily reports and forecast warnings so that they could make their plans and necessary preparedness, accordingly.

Published in Dawn, March 12th, 2023