ISLAMABAD: The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) has completed the distribution of 50,000 shelters and winter kits among Pakistan’s most vulnerable communities, the Saudi charity said on Tuesday.
The aid distribution was part of KSrelief’s Shelter, Non-Food Items (NFIs) and Winter Kit Project for 2023-24, according to a statement issued by the charity organization.
By focusing on the disaster-stricken regions, the project provided essential support to over 350,000 individuals across Pakistan, enabling communities to recover and regain stability.
“Spanning four phases from September 2023 to October 2024, the initiative targeted areas severely affected by flash floods, heavy rainfall, and snowfall across 44 high-need districts in Pakistan,” KSrelief said in a statement.
“Through this effort, KSrelief distributed a total of 25,000 Shelter NFIs and 25,000 Winter Kits, aimed at helping communities withstand harsh winter conditions and rebuild their lives in the aftermath of these disasters.”
KSrelief coordinated with Pakistan’s national and provincial disaster management authorities and United Nations (UN) agencies for the effort, according to the statement.
“This approach ensured a cohesive, well-targeted response to meet the immediate needs of those impacted,” it read.
The Saudi charity organization has one of the largest humanitarian budgets available to any aid agency across the world, which has allowed its officials to undertake a wide variety of projects in more than 80 countries.
Pakistan is the fifth largest beneficiary of its aid and humanitarian activities and has greatly benefited from its assistance since 2022 monsoon floods.
Saudi Arabia’s KSrelief completes distribution of 50,000 shelters, winter kits in Pakistan
https://arab.news/nmeaw
Saudi Arabia’s KSrelief completes distribution of 50,000 shelters, winter kits in Pakistan
- The initiative targeted areas severely affected by flash floods, heavy rain and snowfall in the South Asian country
- It provided essential support to over 350,000 individuals, enabling communities to recover and regain stability
Pakistan denies canceling UAE deal, adds Islamabad airport to privatization plan
- Government refutes media reports of scrapped airport lease, says no such deal was ever concluded
- Pakistan says open bidding plan has no political or diplomatic basis and is driven by economic reasons
KARACHI: Pakistan on Saturday rejected media reports that it had canceled a proposed lease arrangement for the United Arab Emirates to run Islamabad airport, saying no such deal had ever been signed, while confirming that the aviation facility in the capital has been placed in the government’s active privatization program.
The statement followed media reports suggesting that Pakistan had abandoned a government-to-government arrangement with the UAE to outsource airport operations, citing delays by Abu Dhabi in nominating an operating entity and claiming that Pakistani authorities had inferred a loss of interest.
“The Privatization Commission has noticed some misleading reports that suggest ‘canceling of any proposed agreement for Islamabad International Airport’ and strongly refutes such reports,” the commission said in a statement.
“In this context, the claim that ‘Pakistan has canceled any lease agreement with the UAE’ is contrary to the facts and misleading, as no such agreement or lease was ever signed for any of the airports including Islamabad International Airport,” it added.
The statement said the government had decided in November last year to move away from a government-to-government framework and adopt an open bidding process for airport concessions after strong investor interest.
“This decision does not have any political or diplomatic background, and is based purely on economic and procedural reasons,” it said.
As part of that process, Islamabad International Airport has now been formally included in the active privatization program under a long-term concession model, aligning it with ongoing plans for airports in Karachi and Lahore.
The government said the competitive bidding process would provide a level playing field for domestic and international investors, including those from partner countries such as the UAE, as Pakistan seeks to modernize the aviation sector and attract private investment.
