UAE-based Carrefour partners with Pakistani NGO to help the needy in Ramadan

In this photo taken on March 21, 2023, representatives of Carrefour Pakistan and Pakistani non-profit organization (NGO) Alkhidmat Foundation sign an agreement to help the needy during Ramadan. (Photo courtesy: Carrefour Pakistan)
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Updated 22 March 2023
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UAE-based Carrefour partners with Pakistani NGO to help the needy in Ramadan

  • Carrefour, Pakistan’s Alkhidmat Foundation to provide meals to less privileged Pakistanis in Ramadan
  • The two will also provide humanitarian aid to people affected by the devastating quake in Türkiye, Syria

ISLAMABAD: Retail company Carrefour Pakistan, owned and operated by UAE-based holding firm Majid Al Futtaim, announced on Wednesday its decision to join hands with Pakistani non-profit organization (NGO) Alkhidmat Foundation to provide relief to earthquake victims in Syria and Turkiye, and provide free meals to the less privileged in Pakistan during Ramadan. 

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting, prayer, reflection, and charity. The first fast in Pakistan is likely to be observed on Thursday, March 23.

Through the collaboration, Carrefour said the two would provide meals to the less privileged Pakistanis in Ramadan and also send relief items to victims of the recent devastating earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria.

“We believe in the power of collective action and community support. We are greatly pleased to join hands with Alkhidmat Foundation to play our part in eliminating food hunger in the country, whilst providing relief to those affected by the earthquakes in Turkiye and Syria,” Umer Lodhi, Carrefour Pakistan’s country manager, said.

“We hope our combined efforts will make a positive impact on those who need it the most.”

The statement added that customers would also have the opportunity to give back to the community this Ramadan by purchasing special, pre-packed boxes filled with essential food items such as rice, flour, oil, dates & pulses.

The pre-packed boxes, it said, will then be distributed among needy families to help provide them some relief during Ramadan as the South Asian country grapples with decades-high inflation.

“Earthquake relief boxes comprising shelter supplies, clothing, and non-perishable food items are available for customers to buy and donate at all Carrefour stores,” the statement said.


Pakistan says on ‘strong path’ toward polio eradication after last vaccination drive of 2025

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Pakistan says on ‘strong path’ toward polio eradication after last vaccination drive of 2025

  • Pakistani health volunteers vaccinated over 44.6 million children from Dec. 15-21 campaign
  • Pakistan has reported 30 polio cases this year and has not reported a single one since September

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) said on Tuesday that the nation was on a “strong path” toward polio eradication, after authorities conducted the last nationwide anti-polio vaccination drive of the year a few days earlier. 

Pakistani health authorities conducted the last nationwide anti-polio vaccination of 2025 from Dec. 15-21. The NEOC earlier this week said it had vaccinated a total of 44.6 million children under the age of five during the seven-day campaign across the country. 

Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan are the only two countries where transmission of the wild poliovirus has never been interrupted, posing a risk to global eradication efforts. The virus, which can cause irreversible paralysis, has no cure and can only be prevented through repeated oral vaccination.

“The NEOC reaffirms that Pakistan is on a strong path toward polio eradication,” the authority said in a statement. 

It noted that health volunteers vaccinated over 22.8 million children in Punjab, over 1 million in Sindh, over 7.1 million in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), and over 2.5 million children in Balochistan during the campaign. 

In Islamabad, over 450,000 children were vaccinated while in Gilgit-Baltistan, over 274,000 children and in Azad Kashmir over 714,000 were given polio drops. 

The NEOC said Pakistan’s polio cases declined from 74 in 2024 to 30 in 2025, reflecting measurable progress compared to the previous year.

“No polio cases have been reported since September 2025, highlighting the remarkable progress achieved through consistent and comprehensive immunization efforts across the country,” it said. 

Health officials say insecurity remains a major obstacle. Polio workers and their security escorts have repeatedly been targeted in militant attacks, particularly in parts of KP and Balochistan, complicating efforts to reach every child.

A gun attack targeting a polio vaccination team in Pakistan’s northwestern Bajaur district on Dec. 16 left one police constable and a civilian dead.

Natural disasters, including flooding, have also disrupted vaccination campaigns in recent years.

“The NEOC calls upon all stakeholders, including parents, community leaders and health workers, to continue their active support,” the center said.