In awe of the imposing mountains and the inescapably cold winter, the China-Pakistan Youth Exchange Community paid a three-day visit to the Gilgit Baltistan region and handed over 1,700 packages of food, tarpaulins, quilts, blankets and other supplies to the local people.

Following the recent biblical floods, a significant number of GB people are living in tents and makeshift wooden houses as their homes have been devastated by the deluge.

Standing by the people of GB, the China-Pakistan Youth Exchange Community distributed the second batch of relief supplies to Gilgit, supported by the Tencent Charitable Foundation and the China Foundation for Rural Development. 

Relief supplies were distributed in the areas of Gilgit, Ghizer, Khunjerab, Hunza, Nagar and other areas.

Accompanied by officials from the local governments and chambers of commerce, the community drove for nearly four hours to the Ghizer district, to distribute anti-disaster and cold-weather supplies to 800 families.

Qurban Ali, Chairman of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) Capital Office, lauded the China-Pakistan Youth Exchange Community for its long-term assistance to Pakistan.

The community was warmly welcomed and received at the office of the GB Disaster Management Authority (GB-DMA). Zaheer Uddin Babar, Deputy Director of the Authority, briefed the community on the situation in Gilgit and the difficulties faced by the affected people. 

He also revealed the measures taken by the Gilgit government to rehabilitate the flood victims. He hoped that the community could cooperate with more public welfare organizations to help the affected Pakistanis in their long-term recovery.

In Nagar district, where a large number of houses and buildings were destroyed by the floods, the community distributed materials to 400 affected families. Relief supplies were also provided to 500 affected families in Hunza, Khunjerab. 

Mr. Irshad Sadan, Vice President of the Nagar Chamber of Commerce and Industry, expressed his gratitude to the community for the timely help extended by China to the people of Gilgit.

"This event exhibits a strong brotherly friendship between China and Pakistan. I hope the baton of love from China will help them rebuild their homeland as soon as possible. I also hope that this love can cascade into the sea of charity and strengthen the deep friendship between China and Pakistan," concluded Ma Bin, the focal person of the China-Pakistan Youth Exchange Community.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan-INP