Türkiye’s fifth "Kindness Train" loaded with relief supplies for victims of the catastrophic floods has departed to Pakistan in a ceremony on Tuesday.
With the coordination of the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), the train was sent off in southern Mersin province.
“Aid collected in Mersin, Gaziantep, Adana, Osmaniye, Hatay, Kilis, Şanlıurfa, Kahramanmaraş, Adıyaman, Kayseri, Burdur, Isparta, Antalya, Karaman, Niğde, Aksaray, Nevşehir, Malatya provinces will be sent to Pakistan with this train,” Mersin Governor Ali Hamza Pehlivan said, indicating that 633 tons and 703 kilograms of aid were on the train.
The Interior Ministry last week announced that it had sent notices to request aid from 81 province’s governorates for flood-hit Pakistan as part of a relief project in coordination with AFAD.
Meanwhile, the fourth Kindness Train arrived in Pakistan, said an official statement issued on Tuesday.
The train was sent on Aug. 30 on the president's instructions to help support the South Asian country, according to AFAD.
Noting that the train aims to heal the wounds of the Pakistani people, it said Türkiye stands by its "Pakistani brothers."
At least 33 million people have been affected by the unprecedented floods, which most observers say came as a direct result of climate change, and Pakistani officials say pose an existential threat to the country.
Pakistan's Finance Ministry estimated that the floods had inflicted damage worth at least $12 billion to the country's economy, which was already struggling in the face of high fiscal and current account deficits.
Türkiye was one of the first responders to the situation in Pakistan and has sent 12 planes and five trainloads of rescue and relief material to help victims.
A Turkish ministerial delegation also headed to Pakistan in a show of solidarity and support for the South Asian country.
