Saudi flood relief goods arrive in Lahore

Saudi Arabia has dispatched five truckloads of relief goods for flood-affected families in seven districts of Punjab. The consignment was handed over to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and Saudi Ambassador Nawaf bin Said Al-Maliki at a ceremony in Lahore.

The chief minister was informed that the assistance, provided by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre, comprised 10,000 shelter kits and food packages to be distributed among flood-hit people in Kasur, Jhang, Multan, Chiniot, Khanewal, Toba Tek Singh and Hafizabad. The aid will be delivered in collaboration with the PDMA, King Salman Relief Centre and Hayat Foundation.

Each food package weighing 95 kg includes flour, sugar, gram lentils and cooking oil, while each shelter kit contains a tent, solar panel, LED lights, two thermal blankets, a plastic mat, a durable kitchen set, a water cooler, antibacterial soap and other essential items.

Maryam expressed her gratitude to King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for what she called their timely and generous support. She said the aid reflected the spirit of brotherhood and solidarity between the two nations.

She said Saudi support would be remembered as a symbol of solidarity with flood-affected people at a critical juncture.

The chief minister and the ambassador also discussed ongoing relief efforts, economic cooperation and the regional situation. Maryam praised the vision and empathy of the Saudi leadership, describing it as a guiding light for the Muslim world that had enabled progress and prosperity.

She said Saudi Arabia had once again stood by Pakistan in its time of need, adding that bilateral ties were not just strategic but rooted in brotherhood and trust. She said economic cooperation between the two countries was growing steadily.

Meanwhile, a large part of Gujrat city was cleared of floodwater. The chief minister directed officials to remain in the field until drainage was complete.

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She said a crack in the protective dam at Madina Syedan was delaying drainage, with water being diverted towards the Halsi stream using government machinery and local volunteers. Staff were working to prevent further inflows into the city, she added.

Maryam also said that health services on a historic scale were being provided in areas affected by what she described as the worst flood in Punjab’s history. She said an integrated programme had been launched to look after women and children in flood-hit districts.

Officials briefed her that 968 clinics-on-wheels and medical relief camps had been established, with special arrangements for women and children.

Doctors and allied staff are available at every camp to check pregnant women, while multivitamins, sanitary kits and other essentials are provided. A round-the-clock rural ambulance service has also been introduced to transport pregnant women to Maryam Nawaz Health Clinics or hospitals. Specialist doctors visit each camp daily to treat children, and newborns are being vaccinated.

Officials said arrangements had also been made to treat insect bites, skin infections, stomach diseases, cholera and malaria. ORS, antibiotics and other essential medicines are in good supply. Camps are also providing screening and treatment for malnourished children.