ISLAMABAD: Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki on Thursday visited flood-hit areas in Pakistan’s southern Sindh province, saying what he witnessed there could in short be termed a “human tragedy.”
Unprecedented rains and glacier melt in the north triggered massive floods in Pakistan that have killed over 1,500 people since mid-June, according to authorities.
The deluges have swept away livestock, standing crops, homes and key infrastructure, directly affecting some 35 million people across the South Asian nation.
“Today, what I myself have witnessed in the Sindh province is a human tragedy in short,” Ambassador Al-Malki said on Twitter.
“I also request my Saudi brothers to participate in the [Saudi] national campaign ‘Sahem’ which was launched on the instructions of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and His Highness the Crown Prince to help the flood victims.”
Saudi Arabia this week launched a fund-raising campaign to help flood-hit people in Pakistan. A Saudi aid fund, the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief), said donations could be made to the appeal through its Sahem platform.
The Kingdom on September 13-14 also dispatched two flights carrying tons of humanitarian aid to Pakistan. Ambassador Al-Malki further prayed for the protection of Pakistan and its people.