Tazeen Akhtar
Ambassador of Turkiye to Pakistan Dr.Mehmet Paçacı has expressed solidarity with the people and government of Pakistan from his government and people in supporting and restoration of flood-affected people of Pakistan. He shared this in a press conference held at the embassy on 19 Oct 2022. AFAD VIce Presidennt Önder Bozkurt was also present.
More than 30 million people have been adversely affected, and more than a thousand people have lost their lives, hundreds of thousands of houses have been destroyed, and thousands of animals have perished in the flood disaster caused due to the monsoon rains that have been effective in Pakistan since 14 June. It has been reported by Pakistani authorities that approximately 35 billion dollars of financial damage occurred due to the flood disaster.
AFAD Vice President Önder Bozkurt shared the following detail:
@ In order to send humanitarian aid to the region, Goodness Train Expeditions were established in cooperation with the Türkiye Ministry of Transport, and an Air Bridge was established in cooperation with the Türkiye Ministry of National Defense. In addition, preparations have been started for Pakistan
@Goodness Ship expedition, which will depart from Türkiye.
@ In addition to these aid bridges, AFAD Presidency personnel took charge as of August in order to coordinate the works in Pakistan and to ensure the process of receiving humanitarian aid from the locals.
AIRBRIDGE, GOODNESS TRAINS, AND LOCAL SUPPLY (TOTAL)
@ As of 19 Oct 2022, a total of 15 planes carrying aid, 13 Goodness Train Expeditions, and Local Supply to the region;
@ 35,152 family tents
@ 467.227 food parcels and cleaning materials (7.000 plane, 408.847 train, 51.380 local)
@ 2.826.468 units of medical supplies
@ 53.466 blankets, mattresses, pillows, etc.
@ 6.555 kitchen kits
@ 34.219 units of clothing and carpet
@ 2 mobile health units and camps
@ 50 motorboats were sent.
AIR BRIDGE
@ The first humanitarian aid plane to reach Pakistan on 28 August 2022 after the flood disaster was sent from Turkey. A total of about 227 tons of humanitarian aid (mostly medical products) materials have been transported on 15 planes shipped from Turkey so far.
GOODNESS TRAINS
@ Under the coordination of our AFAD Presidency, together with our 22 NGOs, a total of 334 wagons on 13 goodness trains, consisting of tents and humanitarian aid materials, and which started on 30 August 2022; 7.222 tons of aid materials (408.847 food and hygiene packages) were sent to Pakistan.
@ Aid materials are delivered to the logistics warehouse in Quetta, the capital of Pakistan’s Balochistan, and then to the disaster-affected areas by trucks under the coordination of NDMA (Pakistan National Disaster Management Authority).
LOCAL WORKS
@ As of 19.10.2022, 51.380 food packages provided by Airlift, Local AFAD, and Turkish NGOs were distributed to the disaster victims and distribution continues in the designated disaster areas.
@ In total, 35.152 tents were set up and dispatched in 44 different regions under the coordination of the AFAD Presidency. In these areas approx 251 thousand people live.
FIELD STAFF
@ A total of 77 personnel (19 AFAD personnel, 3 Health teams, and 53 NGO representatives, 2 Academicians) have worked in Pakistan so far to coordinate the distribution of aid materials sent to the region by our Presidency and to assist in the establishment of tent cities
Turkiye is among the top 3 countries that are extending the maximum support in the shape of material, medical, technical, and experience sharing. Both the Ambassador and the representative of AFAD pledged to continue all-out cooperation with the Pakistani government in the time of this calamity and disaster.
Mr. Önder Bozkurt answered the queries of the journalists about Turkiye’s relief assistance operations in Pakistan. To a question by Editor Tazeen Akhtar , He said,” AFAD is working on the ousting of water from some areas in Sindh. We use special machinery and motors for that. No other technology is available yet to exit the water in vast areas.
