ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Friday that Pakistan was looking forward to Ankara’s assistance to help it overcome the massive destruction caused by floods, in a meeting with a Turkish delegation.
Monsoon rains in Pakistan have killed over 1,200 people and destroyed crops, demolished homes by the thousands and adversely affected around 33 million people, according to disaster management authorities.
Relief items from Turkey, Saudi Arabia, UAE and other countries have since then arrived in Pakistan to help the country deal with the catastrophe.
On Friday, PM Sharif held a meeting with a Turkish delegation led by its Minister for Interior, Suleyman Soylu. The delegation included Murat Kurum, the Turkish minister for environment and climate change as well as the chairman of the Turkish disaster and emergency management (AFAD).
The director-general for the Turkish low-cost housing agency (TOKI), and other senior officials were also part of the delegation which arrived in Islamabad on a day-long visit to show solidarity and express support for Pakistan.
“Pakistan looks forward to Turkey’s assistance to overcome the challenges caused by massive destruction to the country’s infrastructure, loss of people’s livelihoods, food shortage, and socio-economic insecurity during the reconstruction and rehabilitation phase,” the Pakistani premier said during the meeting, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s House.
Sharif informed the delegation of the catastrophe created by the floods, adding that Pakistan was facing food insecurity as millions of crops had been devastated.
So far, 11 Turkish military aircraft and two ‘goodness trains’ carrying relief items have been dispatched for the flood victim’s assistance, the statement added.
Turkish interior minister Soylu underscored that Ankara immediately established air and land bridges to provide support to Pakistani flood affectees.
“In line with President Erdogan’s instructions, Turkey’s relevant institutions and agencies dealing with natural disasters stood ready to provide enhanced support in line with Pakistan’s requirements,” Soylu was quoted as saying.
The minister said that Turkish people prayed for Pakistanis on the occasion of the Friday prayers and mobilized support for them.
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) briefed the delegation earlier in the morning about the havoc wreaked by the monsoon rains and subsequent floods.
According to the Turkish embassy, the delegation paid an aerial visit to flood-affected areas in Pakistan’s southern Sindh province and would leave for Turkey from the port city of Karachi.
