Following the instructions of the Prime Minister of Pakistan, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has started sending relief supplies to the earthquake victims in Myanmar.
The first shipment of aid includes 35 tons of goods, including tents, tarpaulins, blankets, ready-to-eat meals, medicines, and water modules.
The relief supplies are being transported by a special aircraft to Yangon, Myanmar. Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, attended the ceremony for the dispatch of the relief supplies, along with officials from the NDMA, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ambassador of Myanmar.
Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry stated that, as per the Prime Minister’s instructions, a total of 70 tons of aid will be sent to Myanmar. He emphasized that Pakistan stands with the people of Myanmar in this difficult time.
A special message of sympathy for the people of Myanmar was also conveyed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
The Ambassador of Myanmar expressed gratitude to the government and people of Pakistan for their aid and praised the efforts made by Pakistan for the relief efforts.
An additional 35 tons of relief supplies will be dispatched soon as part of the second shipment to further assist the victims.
Earlier, Myanmar declared a week of national mourning on Monday over the country’s devastating earthquake, as the death toll passed 2,000 and hopes faded of finding more survivors in the rubble of ruined buildings.
National flags will fly at half-mast until April 6 “in sympathy for the loss of life and damages” from Friday’s massive quake, the ruling junta said in a statement.
The junta also announced a minute’s silence on Tuesday, to begin at 12:51 pm — the precise time the 7.7-magnitude quake struck.
People should stop where they are to pay tribute to the victims, the junta said, while media should halt broadcasting and show mourning symbols, and prayers will be offered at temples and pagodas.
