KARACHI – Following the appeal of international donors and aid agencies for the flood-affected people of Pakistan, Russia has also launched an initiative to assist them. Talking to the media at the Russian Consulate in Karachi on Thursday, Russian Consul General Andrey Demidov said that Russia has so far provided humanitarian aid of about $9 million to flood survivors of Pakistan and, if needed, it would continue its support in the future.
“In accordance with the ordinance of the government of the Russian Federation regarding participation of Russia in international efforts for humanitarian assistance to the people of Pakistan affected by the floods in August last year, a cargo plane of the Russian Emergencies Ministry delivered first-necessity goods, tents, tools and foodstuffs weighing about 108 tonnes to Islamabad on January 15,” Demidov said. On February 5, another cargo plane delivered around 113 tonnes of humanitarian goods, and a total of four cargo planes with humanitarian aid from Russia have been sent to Pakistan so far.
Two IL-76 cargo planes had delivered humanitarian aid to Islamabad last year on August 17 and 19. The total contribution of Russia for the people affected by floods is $8 million, of which $7 million are being allocated through specialised United Nations (UN) organisations – UN Children’s Fund, $1 million; World Health Organisation, $1 million; Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, $3 million; International Civil Defence Organisation, $1 million; and World Food Programme, $1 million.
The Russian people hope that the humanitarian assistance is timely and considered an essential contribution to a friendly state in overcoming the grave consequences of the natural disaster that affected the lives of millions of Pakistanis.
