UNHCR hands over emergency relief items to Sindh govt

KARACHI: UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, has handed over thousands of tents and other emergency relief items to the Government of Sindh that would benefit hundreds of thousands of flood-affected people in the province.

The first three of the nine scheduled flights arrived in Pakistan on Monday, with the remaining expected this week. UNHCR trucks carrying relief items are also en route from Uzbekistan, with more convoys scheduled. Emergency relief items are being transported from Peshawar that have already reached Sukkur Humanitarian Response Facilities.

A total of 18,800 tents, 310,000 blankets, 76,000 buckets, 56,500 jerry cans, 67,500 plastic tarpaulins, 112,000 sleeping mats, 150,000, mosquito nets, 140,000 solar lamps, 24,700 kitchen sets, 32,000 sanitary napkins, 4,500 soap bars and 3,500 dignity kits are being given to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA).

UNHCR Assistant Representative for Protection in Pakistan Leyla Nugmanova called on Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Tuesday. The CM’s team briefed UNHCR officials about the current situation in various flood-affected districts, including the damage caused.

UNHCR Representative and PDMA Director General Syed Salman Shah signed a memorandum to hand over the relief items for immediate distribution among the people affected by the floods.

The CM welcomed UNHCR’s contribution, terming it timely and important as the needs are massive. The world is yet to understand the scale of this disaster and the devastation caused by the floods.

Leyla said: “UNHCR is lending all possible support to Pakistan in this hour of need. Based on our 40 years of partnership and Pakistan’s extraordinary generosity for refugees, we can’t let the country and its people handle this colossal tragedy alone.

The world has to understand what the people in Pakistan are going through and has to step in to help fast.”

UNHCR has been a part of the monsoon response since July, when the agency started providing relief items and assistance for refugees and host communities. In addition, UNHCR directly provided tents to the flood-affected refugees and host communities through its partners.