ISLAMABAD: King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSRelief) continued its efforts to distribute food aid in various districts of Punjab over the weekend, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
On Saturday and Sunday, KSRelief distributed over 1,200 food packages to needy families, benefiting more than 7,500 people in Lahore, Bahawalnagar, and Rahim Yar Khan districts.
Over 20,100 packages of food have already been distributed since the $1 million Ramadan assistance program for the province was inaugurated on April 23, SPA said on Monday.
Beneficiaries in Punjab receive food packages from KSRelief on May 10, 2020. (SPA)
“The campaign was launched to distribute over 22,000 food bags in Pakistan and will benefit more than 130,000 people in 10 districts of Punjab,” Saudi Ambassador Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki said as quoted in a statement by Saudi Arabia’s embassy in Islamabad on Monday.
According to the embassy, each package weighs around 30 kilograms and contains flour, rice, cooking oil, sugar, milk powder, dates and black tea.
KSRelief efforts are conducted in cooperation with Pakistani authorities, in accordance with all precautionary measures laid down by the government to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The assistance comes as Pakistan’s most populous province is facing mass job losses amid business shutdowns enforced to contain the spread of coronavirus.
KSRelief has provided humanitarian and development assistance to millions of beneficiaries in more than 49 countries. Pakistan is the fifth-largest recipient of assistance from the Saudi-based international agency and has received more than $120.2 million in aid since 2005.
