Alwaleed visits flood-hit regions of Pakistan
Published: Aug 30, 2010 00:46 Updated: Aug 30, 2010 00:46
ISLAMABAD: Saudi Arabia's Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, assured Pakistan that the Kingdom will provide all possible assistance it needs for the relief and rehabilitation of thousands of flood victims.
He said the Kingdom had resolved to continue sending aid to flood-stricken Pakistan. "The Kingdom will spare no effort in supporting the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to cope with the damage from flooding," Alwaleed said.
Alwaleed who visited the flood-hit region, along with Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, said, "The Kingdom stood with Pakistan during its worst natural calamity."
He was talking to reporters at Multan airport Sunday after visiting some of the worst affected areas of Punjab.
Alwaleed, who arrived in Islamabad, said two 100-bed hospitals donated by the Kingdom will be handed over to the governments of Punjab and Sindh.
Saudi medical team arrived in Islamabad on Thursday to establish two mobile field hospitals ordered by the Saudi government to assist victims of the devastating floods.
Earlier Gilani said the continuous flow of Saudi aid is commendable and helped mitigate the sufferings of flood victims.
Meanwhile, Pakistani troops and workers were on a "war footing" Sunday as they battled to save the southern city of Thatta after most of the population of 300,000 fled advancing floodwaters.
Torrential monsoon rains have triggered massive floods that have moved steadily from north to south over the past month, engulfing a fifth of the volatile country and affecting 17 million of its 167 million people.
Southern Sindh is the worst-affected province, with 19 of its 23 districts ravaged as floodwaters swell the raging Indus River to 40 times its usual volume.
One million people have been displaced over the past few days and hundreds of thousands have already fled Thatta alone ahead of the approaching torrents as soldiers work frantically to repair breached levees on the river.
"The water is still two kilometers away from Thatta where the armed forces and the local administrative workers are working on war footing to save the city," senior city official Hadi Bakhsh Kalhoro told AFP on Sunday.
"The army brought a maximum of resources to try to fill up the breach. Almost all the people have left Thatta to safer places, all shops and schools are closed," he said.
Water levels were still rising in the district, but Kalhoro said: "We are hopeful that we can save at least Thatta city in two days."
An AFP reporter said the road linking Thatta with the town of Sujawal had been flooded and closed to all vehicular traffic, while Kalhoro said an electricity grid station near Sujawal had been flooded.
- Additional input from agencies
Comments
ASAD YASIN
Aug 30, 2010 14:57
Report abuseRADWAN
Aug 30, 2010 15:00
Report abuseAVIDREADER
Aug 30, 2010 15:00
Report abuseOIC countries really need to step up their game when it comes to disaster relief and joint support efforts.
ABDUL
Aug 30, 2010 16:51
Report abuseSHAHBAZ KADIR DAKHAN
Aug 30, 2010 16:53
Report abuse