Qatar Charity (QC), in partnership with World Food Program (WFP), has delivered cash assistance to thousands of households affected by the 2022 floods in the Dera Ghazi Khan district of Pakistan’s Punjab province, in addition to providing work opportunities for other families in the same district.

The assistance aims to ease the economic suffering of the beneficiaries and contribute to improving their food security and dietary diversity.

Under the project, 4,219 households received cash assistance for three months. Qatar Charity attached significant attention to the elderly, vulnerable families, female-headed households, and other deprived persons while delivering the aid.  

Besides, Qatar Charity provided work opportunities for the members of 5,606 families in the same district, who worked on rehabilitating unpaved paths, damaged roads, affected houses, and drainage systems, in addition to managing livestock, farming and gardening.

“The 2022 floods are one of the biggest disasters, which affected millions of people,” said Mr. Zaka Uddin, Deputy Director of the Social Welfare department, Dera Ghazi Khan. He highly appreciated the efforts of Qatar Charity and WFP for selecting Dera Ghazi Khan, which is a highly flood-affected district in Punjab.

Mr. Sabir Hussain Shah, Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) of the Dera Ghazi Khan district, stated that Qatar Charity has reached the most vulnerable communities of DG Khan, thanking Qatar Charity and WFP for supporting deprived communities through cash assistance.

The beneficiaries expressed their happiness with the cash assistance they received from Qatar Charity. ‘During the recent rainfall, flash floods washed away each and everything, destroying all roads, which have affected adversely and hugely those working on daily wage,” said Abdul Salam, a beneficiary of the aid.  “My child died due to the inaccessibility of medical facilities, and we suffered from hunger,” he added, thanking WFP and Qatar Charity for providing the assistance for the three months.

“Due to the flash flood, we lost our source of income,” said a beneficiary Mrs. Ameera Mai. “I am very grateful to WFP and Qatar Charity for giving me the cash assistance. I have purchased medicines for my children and some household items.”

It is worth mentioning that Qatar Charity has recently provided relief aid to those affected by the floods in the Dadu district in the Sindh province. This aid included 500 tents and 800 food packages, which were delivered to the affected people.