Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif met with Türkiye's Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu and Environment, Urban Planning and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum on Friday.
Sharif received Soylu, Kurum and their delegation at the Prime Ministry as part of the Turkish officials' visit to flood-hit Pakistan.
Noting that Türkiye's support is a sign of friendship and brotherhood, Sharif said, "My dear brother, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, called me on the day of the disaster, that is, on Aug. 27, and conveyed his condolences for thousands of people who lost their lives."
Stating that nearly 300 of those who lost their lives were children, he also said: "The Turkish people once again showed that they are with the people of Pakistan, as they always do. As soon as the disaster occurred, they started sending relief supplies from Türkiye."
Emphasizing that relief supplies from Türkiye have begun to be distributed in disaster areas, the prime minister said that Pakistan has seen the highest amount of precipitation in the last 40 years.
‘Prayers for Pakistan in 90,000 mosques’
Soylu also stated the stark magnitude of the disaster people in Pakistan are facing continues to worsen and that the countries immediately established a "bridge of brotherhood" via both air and land on the first day of the flood.
He also said that in the Friday prayer held in 90,000 mosques across Türkiye, both prayers will be made for the people of Pakistan and support will be provided by the whole nation.
"Both our government and all our nongovernmental organizations are currently conducting a big aid campaign. Eleven planes have arrived in Pakistan so far. Two trains have been sent, and the third train is being prepared. Approximately 10,000 tents have been shipped and 25,000 food packages. In addition, health supplies and medicines, baby food, clothes and boots requested by the disaster center here were also delivered," Soylu said.
Pointing out that many disasters in Türkiye in recent years have been managed in a coordinated manner, Soylu said: "I would like to express that this is not a normal disaster. It is the result of climate change, and at the same time, we are ready to do the best we can do for Pakistan and our brothers in this regard, " he said.
'We are with brotherly people of Pakistan'
Minister Kurum also reiterated that one-third of Pakistan has been submerged in the flood disaster, animals have died, agricultural lands were damaged and millions of people have been left homeless. "As we did in Türkiye with Minister Soylu, the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), the Housing Development Administration of Türkiye (TOKI), the Turkish Red Crescent, the General Directorate of Construction Affairs and the General Directorate Units, we are here today with the same understanding for the friendly and brotherly people of Pakistan, just as we take action after every disaster," Kurum said.
Pointing out that after the earthquakes in 2005 and 2010 in Pakistan, 4,872 houses, schools, mosques and social facilities were built by TOKI, the institution emphasized that today, they will act with the spirit of mobilization to meet all the needs related to damage assessment.
Expressing his feelings and thoughts after the speeches, Sharif said that the words of Soylu and Kurum touched him.
AFAD head Yunus Sezer and TOKI head Ömer Bulut also took part in the delegation.
Earlier, Pakistan's National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) announced that more than 1,000 people had lost their lives due to the floods and landslides caused by monsoon rains that have been ongoing since June 14. It reported that 992,871 houses had been damaged due to the heavy rains and 727,144 farm animals had perished, adding that approximately 33 million people were affected by the rains and 498,442 people were living in the aid camps.
Torrential rains and raging floods have destroyed large amounts of infrastructure and agricultural lands across the country, including tens of thousands of houses, roads and bridges, and washed away nearly a million animals.
According to state meteorologists, the South Asian country, which is among the 10 nations in the world most vulnerable to climate change, has received over 200% more rain this year than average monsoon showers.
In addition, the 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, the AFAD said.
Meanwhile, humanitarian aid prepared with the support of NGOs under the coordination of the AFAD was sent from Ankara to Pakistan aboard the "Kindness Train."