LAHORE – As Pakistan grapples with intensified monsoon rains and glacial lake outburst floods this summer, the Helping Hand for Relief and Development (HHRD) has stepped in to assist over 70,000 victims across 20 districts of KP, Punjab, Gilgit, Neelum Valley and Azad Jammu & Kashmir between June 26 and September 20.
According to the Director of Operations, Sajid Ali Chadhar, HHRD volunteers have distributed 835 dry ration packs, 83,919 bottles of drinking water, 22,263 ready-to-eat meals, 230 hygiene kits, 249 jerry cans, 220 community packs, and 573 “Smile Boxes” for children among affected families. A total of 9,738 victims have received medical assistance, while 48 water filters have been provided to flood-affected districts, including Sialkot, Sargodha, Gujrat, Mandi Bahauddin, Ganda Singh, Lahore, Jhang, Narowal, Okara, Bahwalnagar, Multan, Chishtain, Alipur, Jalalpur Pirwala, Burewal, Buner, Swat, Mansehra, Chakwal, Rawalpindi, Neelum Valley, AJ&K, Gilgit, Kot Addu, Narowal, Kasur, and Gujranwala. Unique medical camps on rescue boats were established in Jhang, and a tent village was set up near Lahore.
Since 26 June, relentless heavy monsoon rains, intensified GLOFs, and the melting of over 7,500 glaciers have caused catastrophic floods across KP, Gilgit-Baltistan, AJ&K, and Punjab. HHRD teams- led by Jodat Kamran, the Head of Emergency Response Pakistan, have been working around the clock to deliver both immediate relief and long-term rehabilitation to communities devastated by these disasters.
Following the particularly severe floods in late August and early September, HHRD’s Emergency Relief and Disaster Management (ERDM) programme remains actively operational in KP, Gilgit-Baltistan, AJ&K, and Punjab. Through the unwavering dedication of ERDM teams, HHRD continues to provide cooked meals, food packs, clean drinking water, non-food items (NFIs), and emergency medical assistance, prioritising the most vulnerable families and communities in need.
Speaking at the occasion, Saleem Mansoori, the Country Director of HHRD, said: “We have covered all affected districts with immediate relief measures and will serve the victims with health, water, food, and shelter until their rehabilitation. The organisation will extend help to flood-affected victims until their complete rehabilitation and construction of their homes.” He added that 500 staff members and a team of volunteers are fulfilling the medical emergency needs of thousands of victims through boat missions, ambulances, and mobile media camps.
