Chinese aid arrives in Gilgit-Baltistan

GILGIT: Over 30 trucks of relief goods from China arrived in Gilgit-Baltistan on Sunday for those affected by the Attabad landslide lake disaster in January.

Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Minister Mehdi Shah received the Chinese delegation that accompanied the convoy from China to Sost via the Karakoram Highway. “We are thankful to our time-tested friend China, which has always helped us in the time of need,” said Shah, while addressing a ceremony in Sost that was arranged in honour of the Chinese delegation.

The relief supplies include rice, grains, flour and other essential food items. According to officials, at least 3,000 tons of stuff was in the trucks, which will be sufficient for the population for the next six months during which the Karakoram Highway remains blocked due to snowfall.

A massive landslide had blocked the Hunza River in January, creating a 24-kilometre-long lake. More than 25,000 people were rendered homeless after the lake swallowed about five villages upstream. The strategic Karokoram Highway was also blocked, severing Pakistan’s land link with China.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 30^th, 2010.