ISLAMABAD: A project by Saudi Arabia's King Salman Humanitarian Aid & Relief Centre (KSRelief) to support food security in Pakistan has been nearing its completion with the distribution of 25,000 ration bags in impoverished districts of Sindh, Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan during Ramadan, the KSRelief said on Sunday.
KSRelief provides humanitarian and development support 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 million in aid since 2005.
The Saudi relief center started a project to support food security in Pakistan for the year 2022, aiming to distribute 75,000 food packages in three phases with the collaboration of Pakistan's National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
In first phase, 25,000 food packages were to be distributed in nine districts of Sindh, three districts of Punjab and earthquake victims of Roundu district of Gilgit-Baltistan to support around 175,000 needy people.
These ration bags were distributed in Badin, Tharparkar, Mirpurkhas, UmerKot, Sajawal, Sanghar, Shaheed Benazir Abad, Khairpur, Ghotki, Rajanpur, Muzaffargarh, Rahim Yar Khan and Roundu districts.
"The second phase will start in coming July and 25,000 food packages will be distributed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the third will commence in October 2022 to meet humanitarian food crises and needs across Pakistan," the KSRelief said in a statement.
Each package weighed 97 kilograms and contained flour, cooking oil, sugar, lentils, dates, sufficient for a family throughout the holy month of Ramadan, according to the statement.
The project comes under the umbrella of humanitarian programs by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, represented by the KSRelief, to assist needy people and achieving food security for the neediest groups in Pakistan.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have long-standing fraternal ties, deeply rooted in the religion. Nearly 2.5 million Pakistani expats live in the kingdom, who are one of the largest sources of remittances to the South Asian country.
