High Commissioner of Pakistan to the Maldives Vice Admiral (Retd) Ather Mukhtar has thanked the Maldivians for their assistance in raising over USD245,000 from the telethon held to assist Pakistanis affected by heavy rains and flood.
The High Commission of Pakistan in the Maldives, the Pakistan-Maldives Friendship Association (PMFA), the state-run Public Service Media (PSM), and other media outlets in the country jointly conducted the event held to raise funds to help those affected by the recent floods in Pakistan. The funds were officially handed over to the Pakistan High Commission at a ceremony held by PMFA. During the ceremony volunteers who participated in the telethon were awarded certificates.
At the ceremony, High Commissioner Mukhtar noted that climate change affects small countries and Pakistan is among the 10 worst affected countries. He thanked Maldivians for their contribution to recovering from the losses suffered by Pakistan. He said the contribution proves the close relationship between the Maldives and Pakistan, expressing hope both countries always work together to overcome any difficulties encountered.
Unusually heavy monsoon rains have caused devastating floods in both the north and south of Pakistan, affecting more than 33 million people and killing more than 1,700 people. The South Asian nation was already in an economic crisis, facing high inflation, a depreciating currency, and a current account deficit. The United Nations (UN) states that the humanitarian crisis in the country will worsen in the coming days.