In a significant relief effort for a region reeling from catastrophic flooding that has affected over 4.5 million residents and claimed more than 130 lives, Saudi Arabia’s King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) has provided 180 tons of dates to displaced families in eastern Punjab.
The humanitarian assistance was carried out in partnership with Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the Hayat Foundation, according to state media. This initiative is designed to deliver crucial and nourishing food supplies to vulnerable households struggling in the wake of the severe inundation.
Pakistan has endured a calamitous monsoon season this year, with rain-related incidents resulting in over 1,000 fatalities nationwide since late June. The situation in Punjab was intensified by heavy downpours and the discharge of surplus water from dams in India, which triggered widespread deluges across the province.
The extensive flooding has also inflicted immense agricultural damage, with provincial authorities estimating that over 2.2 million acres of crops have been destroyed, compounding the crisis for the rural population.
Last month, KSrelief initiated its broader Dates Distribution Project, a program aimed at furnishing food support to at-risk families throughout Pakistan, including the provinces of Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, and the regions of Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
Saudi Arabia, through KSrelief, continues to be one of Pakistan’s most prominent humanitarian allies, backing numerous relief and development projects focused on flood recovery, healthcare, education, and the improvement of local livelihoods. In a separate program in October, the organization also began a project in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to bolster food security by distributing livestock and providing training to vulnerable families.