Saudi Arabia’s official humanitarian arm today commenced a significant winter assistance programme, aiming to provide essential supplies to nearly 154,000 individuals facing harsh weather conditions across twenty-six of Pakistan”s most remote and coldest districts.

The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) will distribute a total of twenty-two thousand specialised Winter Kits as part of the large-scale initiative. The distribution will target snow-bound areas, including those in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan.

This humanitarian effort is being conducted in close coordination with Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority, various Provincial Disaster Management Authorities, and other local officials to ensure the aid reaches the intended recipients.

At a launch ceremony held in the capital, Pakistan’s Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, Sardar Muhammad Yousaf, conveyed the government’s profound gratitude for what he described as generous help from Saudi Arabia.

The minister stated that the act of solidarity would further fortify the already cemented and time tested relations between the two countries. He noted that the initiative demonstrates the matchless love and solidarity of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman Bin Abdulaziz, and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, towards Pakistan.

Sardar Yousaf also extended his appreciation to the Saudi government, its ambassador to Pakistan, Nawaf Bin Said Al-Malki, and KSrelief for their ongoing support to vulnerable communities.

The ceremony was attended by the Saudi ambassador, representatives from the relief centre’s Islamabad office, and other relevant authorities.