PRCS launches project to deal with calamities

Says Pakistan is vulnerable to such incidents, people must be protected

PESHAWAR: The Pakistan Red Crescent Society Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa chapter, in collaboration with the German Red Cross and the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs, launched a community-based project in Shangla and Kohistan to educate local communities on effective responses to natural calamities.

The launch was held on Tuesday and presided by PRCS Chairman Lt Gen (retd) Mohammed Hamid Khan. The German Embassy’s First Secretary for Political and Economic Affairs Sebastain Ernst and others were also present.

Khan said the project aims to build capacities of vulnerable communities of the remote districts of Shangla and Kohistan. “Each passing year, more and more disasters hit Pakistan. Our focus must be on mitigating the impact,” he added.

Speaking highly of the GRC’s support for the financially disadvantaged, Khan said PRCS, with the collaboration of GRC, has achieved great things in the province since 1983.

“Recently, PRCS handed over 10 flood-affected basic health units to the health department after renovating and running them for six years with the support of GRC. The high quality and free-of-cost services provided by PRCS were greatly appreciated by the department,” he added.

Ernst and Hannelore Schnelzer also spoke on the occasion and said the German organisations were happy to assist in easing the suffering of the vulnerable communities of K-P. Later, Khan and Schnelzer signed and exchanged project documents.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 16^th, 2015.