ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif thanked leaders of three Middle Eastern countries late Saturday night after receiving phone calls from them wherein they expressed concern over the ongoing floods in Pakistan that have claimed more than a thousand lives while offering their condolences.
The presidents of the United Arab Emirates, Iran and Turkey contacted Sharif earlier in the day and promised to support Pakistan as monsoon rains and floods continue in the country.
According to the latest statistics compiled by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), at least 1,033 people have died across Pakistan and more than 30 million people have been affected since the beginning of monsoon in mid-June.
As raging floods triggered by heavy rains continue to wreak havoc in much of the country, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Saturday asked member states and the international community to come to Pakistan’s aid.
“I am greatly thankful to my brother His Highness Sheikh @MohamedBinZayed for his message of condolences on the loss of precious lives in the flash floods,” the prime minister said in a Twitter post. “His words of comfort & support mean a lot to us at this time monumental challenge. We acknowledge his offer of support.”
The UAE president wished speedy recovery to people injured in the floods while hoping for the quick return of those who have been uprooted from their hometowns in the wake of the natural disaster.
The Pakistani prime minister also thanked Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi “for his message of support and solidarity to the government and people of Pakistan.”
During his conversation with the Middle Eastern leaders, Sharif mentioned the impact of floods on infrastructure, including roads and bridges, while pointing out that the damage was impeding his government’s efforts to take people to safer places and provide them humanitarian assistance.
The prime minister also expressed his gratitude to Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan whose administration has already pledged to extend humanitarian aid to Pakistanis affected by floods.
In a statement issued by Turkey’s foreign ministry, Erdoğan’s government said it was saddened by the situation, adding it had “started preparations to extend the necessary relief to the Pakistani brothers and sisters who have been affected by the flood disasters and has planned to send a Turkish aircraft carrying humanitarian aid to Pakistan.”
