ISLAMABAD: King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSRelief) reached Rawalpindi with its Ramadan aid program on Sunday, Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
The Saudi charity distributed 512 food packages among needy families, widows and orphans, benefiting about 5,120 individuals in the city, the SPA report said.
According to the Saudi embassy in Islamabad, each package weighs around 30 kilograms and contains flour, rice, cooking oil, sugar, milk powder, dates and black tea.
“The campaign was launched to distribute over 22,000 food bags in Pakistan and will benefit more than 130,000 people in 10 districts of Punjab,” Saudi Ambassador Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki said as quoted in an embassy statement on May 11.
KSRelief efforts are conducted in cooperation with Pakistani authorities, in accordance with all precautionary measures laid down by the government to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The assistance comes as Pakistan’s most populous province is facing mass job losses amid business shutdowns enforced to contain the spread of coronavirus.
The $1 million Ramadan food aid program for Punjab was inaugurated on April 23.
KSRelief has provided humanitarian and development assistance to millions of beneficiaries in more than 49 countries. Pakistan is the fifth-largest recipient of assistance from the Saudi-based international agency and has received more than $120.2 million in aid since 2005.