Two more Turkish planes carrying tents, rations, medicines and other relief supplies for flood victims in Pakistan landed in Karachi on Tuesday.
Türkiye's consul general in Karachi, Cemal Sangu, told Anadolu Agency (AA) that two more planes are expected to arrive at Karachi's Jinnah International Airport later Tuesday evening.
With the latest arrivals, a total of seven aircraft loaded with relief items have landed in Karachi over the past three days, the Pakistani military said in a statement.
The Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) is set to establish a tent village in the Badin district of southern Sindh province for 400 affected families, complete with kitchens, hygiene kits and other facilities.
The Turkish Red Crescent (Kızılay) is already on the ground in southwestern Balochistan, one of the hardest-hit provinces, providing clean water and food to thousands of flood-affected people.
Pakistan's National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) announced that more than 1,000 people lost their lives due to the floods and landslides caused by monsoon rains that have been effective since June 14. It reported that 992,871 houses had been damaged due to the heavy rains and 727,144 farm animals perished, adding that approximately 33 million people were affected by the rains and 498,442 people were living in the aid camps.
Earlier, AFAD announced the establishment of an "air bridge" to provide tents and humanitarian aid to Pakistan, which was hit by heavy floods.
Humanitarian aid materials consisting of 10,000 tents, 50,000 food parcels, 50,000 hygiene materials and 10,000 parcels of baby food were sent to the flood areas in the first stage, AFAD said.
Meanwhile, humanitarian aid materials prepared with the support of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that came together under the coordination of AFAD were sent from Ankara to Pakistan aboard a "Kindness Train."
A ceremony was held in the capital Ankara to send off the "Kindness Train" carrying food, clothing and health supplies to Pakistan.
AFAD head Yunus Sezer, Ufuk Yalçın from Turkish State Railways (TCDD) and Pakistan's Ambassador to Ankara Muhammed Sirus Seccad Gazi attended the ceremony.
Noting that AFAD teams and representatives of NGOs are on the ground in Pakistan and that they aim to deliver 10,000 tents to the region, Sezer said, "There are 3,000 tents, food and humanitarian aid materials here. As of today, together with the 3,000 tents we will send, as well as the tents we have sent by air and supplied locally, we will have delivered 5,200 tents to Pakistan.”
Yalçın, transportation general manager at TCDD, emphasized that they feel the pain of the Pakistani people who lost their lives, were injured or were displaced in the flood disaster.
The official stated that the aid materials prepared with the support of nongovernmental organizations will be distributed to the victims of the flood.
Meanwhile, Pakistan's Ambassador Gazi thanked Türkiye for its humanitarian aid.
Stating that the relationship between Türkiye and Pakistan is not only between states but also between people, Gazi said, "Türkiye has always been the first country to help us."
After the ceremony, the "Kindness Train" departed for Pakistan.
