UAE distributes thousands of food baskets in Pakistan

Food baskets have been sent to areas of Pakistan by a UAE humanitarian mission, where thousands of families are dealing with famine.

ABU DHABI // Thousands of families facing famine in Pakistan have received food aid from a UAE humanitarian mission.

The UAE Project to Assist Pakistan (UAE Pap) has distributed 20,000 food baskets to families in the Durrani and Tirah valley camps in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

The project falls under the directives of the President, Sheikh Khalifa.

A field team from UAE Pap oversaw the distribution of the food aid, in partnership with the Pakistan army, local governments in the province and representatives from other international aid organisations, the state news agency Wam reported.

Thousands of people across the country are suffering bitter cold, poor health care, food shortages and are living in tents.

Families also face a severe lack of healthcare services and often live in squalid conditions, leading to the spread of illness and disease.

Each of the food baskets contains flour, rice, sugar, salt, lentils, cooking oil and tea, with a total weight of 80 kilograms per family.

UAE Pap has distributed more than 1,600 tonnes of food aid among displaced families so far in several areas across the country.

Earlier this month, 1,500 tonnes of infant formula, flour, rice, sugar, salt, lentils, cooking oil and tea was sent to Tharparkar in the south-east Sindh province.

Famine threatens 1.2 million people in the region because of the harsh winter weather.

According to Wam, the beneficiaries of the aid expressed their appreciation and thanks to the UAE for its continuing support.