Pakistan Red Crescent Society distributes relief items among 550 rain affectees

KARACHI: The Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS) distributed relief items, including food parcels, water filters, tarpaulin sheets, jerry cans, buckets, and kitchen sets, among 550 flood-affected families of Orangi Town in Karachi.

The distribution ceremony was attended by the Governor of Sindh, Imran Ismail, Chairman, PRCS National Headquarters (NHQ), Abrar-ul-Haq, and Chairman, PRCS-Sindh, Mrs Shahnaz S Hamid.

On occasion, Provincial President of PRCS-Sindh and Sindh Governor Imran Ismail said that the Red Crescent's work is commendable, and this relief work will be taken forward. We thank the Red Crescent on my behalf, and on behalf of the people, they noted.

Earlier, addressing a press conference at the Karachi Press Club, Chairman, PRCS, Abrar-ul-Haq, said that rains have broken a 90-year record in Karachi and caused a flood-like situation in Sindh and Balochistan, especially the urban flooding in Karachi and Hyderabad.

He further said that the PRCS, as a leading humanitarian organization of the country, has been in action from day one to help people struck by the calamity. "Our volunteers and trained Emergency Response Force (ERF) members of the PRCS-Sindh and Balochistan branches have been in the field to help people stranded due to blocked roads and submerged houses for their rescue and evacuation to safer places as well as provision of necessary medical aid in coordination with relevant stakeholders.” Chairman Abrar-ul-Haq also noted that the PRCS had stepped up its relief efforts in response to the recent monsoon rains in Pakistan and prepared a strategy to extend assistance to 6,500 more families in terms of the provision of cash and other relief items in Sindh and KP.

The Chairman further said that the PRCS is also providing cash assistance of PKR 10,500 per household to 2,500 families and 10,000 hygiene kits to the affected people in Dadu, Jhal Magsi, and Jafferabad.

Also, Water Treatment Plants are also being installed in Dadu and Jhal Magsi to provide 30,000 liters clean drinking water per day to the flood-affected people population, he added.

While distributing the relief items to the rain-affected communities in the area of Orangi Town in Karachi, Chairman PRCS-Sindh Mrs Shahnaz S Hamid said that the PRCS volunteers rescued more than 500 people, including children and the elderly, provided first aid to 100 injured, and helped 200 vehicles stranded during the rains in all districts of Karachi.

She added that the ERF team also restored the family connection of a child who went missing in Baldia Town during the rains. "Also, our volunteers also saved an elderly woman from drowning in District West," she added.

Shahnaz further said that the PRCS-Sindh, with the support of the German Red Cross, had distributed 800 food parcels in Karachi. She uttered that relief items, including hygiene kits for the rain-affected people in Sindh province, were also handed over to the district branches of PRCS. Mrs Shahnaz repeated that the PRCS-Sindh had started a free COVID-19 test facility in Karachi. Besides, the cash grants and food assistance are also provided to COVID affected families. The efforts of the PRCS will continue until the deadly virus is defeated.

Kanwar Waseem, Provincial Secretary, PRCS Sindh, said that every volunteer and staff of the Pakistan Red Crescent is available to help the vulnerable, weak, and deserving people of our society in any kind of emergency.

-MN Report