The Pakistan government on Sunday approved humanitarian assistance for Ukraine. Sources said that the Cabinet through circulation approved a summary moved by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs concerning the dispatch of humanitarian assistance for Ukraine.
As a result of ongoing military escalation between Russia and Ukraine, an estimated 1.5 million refugees, mostly women and children, have moved to Poland and other neighboring countries.
The rapidly deteriorating situation has prompted Ukraine to request international assistance to address its humanitarian needs. The Ukrainian Embassy in Islamabad also approached Ministry for Foreign Affairs (MoFA) for humanitarian assistance.
Several countries including the US, UK, South Korea and European Union have announced emergency humanitarian assistance for Ukraine. As per Ukrainian request, the goods will have to be transported to Poland for onwards transmission to Ukraine.
The MoFA has proposed that Pakistan may provide humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and suggested that National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) may be directed to mobilize the requisite humanitarian assistance (containing non-military items) and organize its transportation.
On the direction of the Prime Minister and in consultation with NDMA, MoFA recommended immediate dispatch of blankets, sleeping bags, KVA generators, soap bars, hand wash, sanitizer and pack out of held stocks of NDMA as a message of solidarity in the time of need for the people of Ukraine.
Sources said that Prime Minister directed NDMA to work out a mechanism for procurement of medicines in consultation with the Ministry of National Health Services Regulation and Coordination and food items, to be dispatched on the second C130 flight.
