ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has dispatched three more shipments of relief items as it scales up humanitarian aid for the war-affected people of Gaza and Lebanon.

Two consignments of humanitarian relief assistance were sent on Sunday via two convoys of National Logistics Corporation (NLC) trucks.

The trucks carrying around 200 tonnes of aid, including winterised tents and blankets, were dispatched from Islamabad to Jordan’s capital, Amman, for the people of Gaza and Lebanon.

The send-off ceremony was held at Islamabad International Airport and attended by MNAs Malik Ibrar and Raja Qamarul Islam; Palestinian ambassador to Pakistan Zuhair M. H. Darzaid; Lebanese ambassador to Pakistan Ghassan Khatib; and representatives of National Disaster Management Auth­ority (NDMA), Foreign Office and armed forces.

Trucks carrying 200 tonnes of aid dispatched for Gaza via Jordan; another consignment sent from Karachi

Another shipment, sent by the NDMA in collaboration with Al-Khidmat Foundation, comprised around 17 tonnes of supplies, including tents, food tins, dry milk, clothes and hygiene kits.

This aid was dispatched via a flight from Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport to Beirut, Lebanon.

A send-off ceremony held at Jinnah International Airport was attended by Minister for Maritime Affairs Qaisar Sheikh, Al-Khidmat Foundation representatives and other officials.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Sheikh stressed the urgent need to provide relief to the populations of Palestine and Lebanon. He urged donors, philanthropists, welfare organisations and the Pakistani public to come forward and take part in relief aid for the two nations.

The envoys of Palestine and Lebanon thanked the government and people of Pakistan for the humanitarian assistance in their hour of need.

The Palestinian ambassador said the generosity and compassion demonstrated by Pakistan served as a “beacon of hope and a testament to our shared commitment to peace and justice for the people of Gaza”.

Mr Khatib, the Lebanese ambassador, highlighted that Pakistan’s humanitarian assistance has been instrumental in providing the much-needed relief items among war-affected people.

In total, NDMA has sent 1,598 tonnes of relief items to Gaza and Lebanon on the directives of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The government has also established the ‘Prime Minister’s Relief Fund for Gaza and Lebanon’ to collect public donations for helping the war-hit people in the two countries.

Published in Dawn, October 28th, 2024