Pakistan sends relief goods for Iran flood affectees

ISLAMABAD: Following the directives of Prime Minister Imran Khan, a Pakistani aircraft loaded with relief goods on Wednesday landed in Iran’s city of Ahvaz to help flood-affectees.

C-130 jet carrying necessary goods and edibles needed to the flood affectees of Iran landed in Ahvaz. The relief goods including, tents, blankets and other relief items were handed over to the Iranian authorities by the Pakistani ambassador.

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said, Pakistan stands side by side with Iranian government and its people in this testing time.

However, another C-130 aircraft will leave for Iran tomorrow carrying more relief goods.

The flood disaster, arising from exceptionally heavy rainfall since March 19, has left aid agencies struggling to cope and seen 86,000 people moved to emergency shelters in Iran. At least 70 people lost their lives in the floods.

Read more: PM Imran offers Iran full humanitarian assistance for flood relief

According to Reuters, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said last week that Washington was ready to help via the Red Cross and Red Crescent, but blamed the country for “mismanagement in urban planning and in emergency preparedness”.

Iranian Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli said flooding might affect about 400,000 people in Khuzestan out of more than 4.7 million residents of the province.

Heavy showers are also expected in the northeastern provinces, including the city of Mashhad.