ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Sunday sent its first consignment of relief items for the flood-hit people of Malaysia, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said, reiterating Islamabad stands in solidarity with Kuala Lumpur.
Since last week, at least 30 people have died and more than half a million households in Malaysia and Thailand have been hit by torrential rain and flooding that authorities say have been the most severe in decades.
Pakistan’s deputy prime minister this week offered help to Malaysia as it struggles to evacuate and rehabilitate people reeling from the floods.
“On directions of Prime Minister, Pak NDMA has dispatched the first consignment this morning at 0500 hrs through a chartered plane from Islamabad International Airport to Kuala Lumpur Malaysia,” NDMA said.
The consignment consisted of 40 tons of relief items including food packs, winterized tents, blankets, medicines and life jackets as per the current need of flood affectees in Malaysia, the authority said.
“A second consignment of equal volume is scheduled to depart in next week further reinforcing Pakistan’s steadfast commitment to assisting flood-hit Malaysia,” the NDMA said.
Pakistan is one of the worse affected countries due to climate change impact. The South Asian country suffered cataclysmic floods in 2022 that killed over 1,700 people and destroyed critical infrastructure that inflicted losses on it worth Rs33 billion.
“Having faced its own share of natural disasters, Pakistan deeply understands the challenges and hardships such calamities bring,” the NDMA said.
“This shared understanding and empathy drive Pakistan’s efforts to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Malaysia in its recovery journey.”
