Various Turkish organizations working on relief efforts in different areas of Sindh and Balochistan provinces

By Islamuddin Sajid

ISLAMABAD (AA) - Turkish organizations are at the forefront of helping flood victims in Pakistan, which has been hit by a devastating flood that killed over 1400 people and destroyed infrastructure.

The first team of the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) arrived in Pakistan on Aug. 7, when the flood hit the provinces of southwestern Balochistan and southern Sindh.

Another team of 20 members arrived after a massive flood hit the provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, and Sindh in the last week of August.

Ankara has so far sent 12 military aircraft and four "Kindness Trains" loaded with relief supplies, including thousands of tents, emergency food items, medicines, boats, kitchen items, baby food, and other goods.

The Turkish Red Crescent has also dispatched two trucks loaded with relief supplies.

Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu, along with Minister of Environment and Urbanization Murat Kurum and the heads of several Turkish relief organizations, were the first foreign delegation to arrive in Pakistan soon after the flood to show solidarity with the government and people of Pakistan and to monitor the devastation caused by floods.

On Sunday, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during a phone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan thanked Ankara for extending humanitarian aid to flood-battered people across the country.

Describing the gesture as "the truest tradition of Pakistan-Türkiye exemplary relationship," Sharif also expressed his gratitude for the recent visit of Soylu and Kurum, as well as heads of several Turkish relief organizations, to monitor the devastation caused by floods, said a statement from Prime Minister's Office.

During the 2005 earthquake and the subsequent devastating flood in 2010, Türkiye was also at the forefront of assisting the Pakistani people.

"We never could forget our Turkish brothers and sisters who helped us in 2010 and built a new house for us," Ihsanullah, a resident of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Nowshera district, told Anadolu Agency.

Hundreds of people continue to live in that village, which was built near the Islamabad-Peshawar highway in the district.

Turkish organizations’ relief activities

Teams from various Turkish organizations, including AFAD, the Turkish Red Crescent, and the Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH), are still working on relief efforts in different areas of Sindh and Balochistan provinces.

When an AFAD team visited Mirpur Khas district in Sindh last week to distribute food and other items to victims, locals and officials thanked them for coming in such a difficult time.

Thousands of people living in tents on both sides of roads in the district are facing a shortage of drinking water and food as the areas are still submerged, destroying the drinking water system in the entire region.

The AFAD team was flanked by a Pakistan army officer, Muhammad Ashiq, who said authorities are clearing the areas of flood waters in order to allow the victims to return homes.

"We are thankful to President Erdogan, the people of Türkiye, and all Turkish organizations for helping us in this difficult time," he said, adding that he salutes President Erdogan and all Turkish people who have always stood by Pakistan in every difficult time.

So far, 1,427 people have lost their lives, including 510 children, and 12,742 others have been injured in flood-related incidents since mid-June, according to National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).

Over 1.75 million houses were damaged, with 567,688 completely destroyed, while 883,268 livestock perished.