Picture used for illustrative purposes.

Hamad Obaid Salem Al Zaabi, UAE Ambassador to Pakistan, accompanied by Bakheet Ateeq Al Rumaithi, UAE Consul-General in Karachi, attended an event commemorating the arrival of ships carrying 200 containers of food and medical supplies to support 500,000 Pakistani families affected by the floods that hit many parts of the country.

The event was held in the presence of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan.

During the event, Al Zaabi said that the UAE, under the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, has provided urgent relief and humanitarian aid to Pakistan and was among the first countries to help Pakistan through the crisis by dispatching an air bridge comprising 62 planes.

International humanitarian aid and solidarity are key pillars of the country’s foreign policy, he added, noting that the UAE Embassy in Islamabad and the UAE Consulate in Karachi have established an action plan and clear strategy since the start of the floods in coordination with partners with the aim of reaching out to affected areas and ensuring the provision of aid.

Field teams have reached thousands of families in 17 affected areas in Sindh Province, as well as ten areas in Balochistan, he added, noting that Emirati charity and humanitarian foundations, most notably the Emirates Red Crescent, the Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation, the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Humanitarian and Charity Establishment, and Sharjah Charity International have been present in the field since the start of the crisis.

Following his meetings with officials in Sindh Province, Al Zaabi visited several areas affected by the floods, where he helped distribute aid that included medicine, food, and shelter materials.

“The aid provided by the UAE to Sindh and Balochistan provinces are part of its urgent relief efforts, underscoring the country’s approach to supporting affected communities around the world through relief and humanitarian programmes,” he said.

For his part, Minister Bhutto Zardari lauded the UAE’s support for people suffering from dire conditions caused by climate change.

He also thanked the UAE’s leadership for continuously supporting the Pakistani people, highlighting the historic and deep-rooted relations between the two countries that were established by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

WAM