ISLAMABAD: Two C-130 jets left on Monday for Iran carrying relief goods to alleviate the plight of the Irani flood victims. while speaking to his Iranian counterpart Javed Zarif, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Quershi informed about the help’s imminent arrival. The jets are carrying necessary goods and edibles needed to the flood affectees.
Since the disaster began, Pakistan has expressed grief and sorrow over the casualties and destruction caused by flash floods in Iran.
On Monday, the Foreign Office (FO) Spokesperson Dr Muhammad Faisal condoled with the families who suffered human losses in the calamity.
The spokesperson said Pakistan is ready to extend humanitarian support to Iran in rescue efforts, adding that the people of Pakistan stand in solidarity with their Iranian brethren at this difficult time.
Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday had also offered Iran to provide full humanitarian assistance required to deal with unprecedented flooding.
In a tweet, he had said, “Our prayers go to the people of Iran in this critical time.”
Iranian emergency services were bracing for widespread flooding on Tuesday with mass evacuations planned as extensive rainfalls in regions neighbouring Khuzestan converge on the oil-rich southwestern province.
“The water moving south from Ilam and Lorestan provinces will enter Khuzestan… many villages there will be submerged,” Ali Asghar Peivandi, the head of Iran’s Red Crescent, had said.
“With the possibility of dams overflowing, we have made preparations to accommodate 100,000 people,” he had told state television.
Khuzestan has an extensive range of dams but officials said water was flowing into them at a fast rate.
In some cases water levels were only 70 centimetres (around 27 inches) lower than the dam crests, they had reported.
“Our dams are more than 95 per cent full,” Khuzestan governor Gholamreza Shariati had told state TV.
Water was released from dams as an emergency measure to prevent them from breaking, leading to fears the outflow may cause havoc in cities, towns and villages downstream.