ISLAMABAD, July 24 (INP): Three Beijing NGOs donated 20,000 medical masks to Pakistan to help the country fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, Gwadar Pro reported on Friday.

The masks, donated by Beijing People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (BPAFFC), China NGO Network for International Exchanges (CNIE) and Beijing Minhe Foundation for International Exchanges have been delivered to Pakistan on a chartered flight arranged by the Embassy of Pakistan in Beijing, and handed over to All Pakistan-China Friendship Association (APCFA).

At the very beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, the Pakistani government and people have made all-out efforts to donate prevention materials to China, an official with BPAFFC said.

"We are very grateful for Pakistan's help", the official said, adding that this once again proves that China and Pakistan are good friends who stay together in difficult times and good brothers who share happiness and sadness.

The masks arrive in Islamabad, Pakistan. [Photo/Beijing People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (BPAFFC)]

This donation is also an important part of the "Silk Road anti-epidemic joint action", which once again highlights the efforts of China's non-governmental forces in the international cooperation on epidemic prevention and control.

Pakistan registered its first COVID-19 patient in the end of February, and the cases saw a spike in the following months. According to the recent figures by the country's health department, Pakistan has 269,190 confirmed cases and it registered over 5,700 deaths across the country, the report added. 

INP/JAVED