US diaspora sends relief for flood victims

HOUSTEN: The Pakistani diaspora has dispatched relief items for the flood victims for the second consecutive year amid the prevailing economic crisis.

In the presence of Consul General of Pakistan Aftab Chaudhry, the State of Texas Representative Dr Suleman Lalani, Austin American Pakistani community leader Tariq Majeed and former test cricketer Jalaluddin dispatched a 40-feet large container of brand-new items including winter provisions, household items and others to Pakistan on August 5.

The relief goods were sent under the Alliance for Disaster Relief (AFDR), Helping Hands USA, Houston Karachi Sister City and Association.

These items will be distributed to the flood victims in several parts of Pakistan, as the country is reeling from climate change effects and economic downtrends.

“It is heartening to see Pakistani diaspora always coming forward to sincerely assist fellow country persons in dire needs having hit by natural calamities,” Consul General Chaudhry said.

On the occasion, a special State of Texas Certificate of Recognition for the philanthropic endeavours of AFDR was given by Dr Suleman Lalani to President Muhammad Saeed Sheikh and Board Member Dr Yaqub Sheikh.

“With the facilitation by our implementing partner Helping Hand for Relief and Development (HHRD), the AFDR provided immediate relief to more than 65,000 Pakistanis hit by the super floods of 2022 and is presently constructing 155 homes for those, whose homes were destroyed by the floods.

Through the philanthropy of Patron-in-Chief of AFDR Syed Javed Anwar of Midland, Entrepreneur Tanweer Ahmed of Houston, Tariq Majeed of Austin, and several hundred others, the AFDR was able to raise $1 million cash and $1 million in kind to send help in 2022 and early 2023, and now again has launched the Super Floods 2023 Recuperation Efforts with the sending of this container,” Coordinator of AFDR Muhammad Saeed Sheikh said.

Director Development HHRD Ilyas Hasan Choudry talked about the importance of the brand new relief items in the container that in fact have developmental value, and informed that they had launched a $15 cash campaign for Pakistan floods for 2022-2023, and 85% of the target had been achieved.

HHRD is presently constructing 621 homes for those affected by the floods of 2022 and started the relief efforts for those affected by floods in Pakistan this year.

HHRD is supporting 10,000 orphans, 1,600 children with disabilities, 18 skills development and livelihood centres, doing more than 700 water projects, and much more with a budget of $17 million for the year 2023.

Tariq Majeed of Austin, Dr Yaqub Sheikh of AFDR Houston, and Shah Haleem of Bangladesh Association also spoke on this occasion.

The event was attended by several prominent Community leaders including Saad Ansari, Akhtar Abdullah, Siraj Narsi, Mehmood Ahmed, Rehman Patel, Mehmood Marfani and others.