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PESHAWAR, Sep 23 (APP):As the muddy waters continue to swallow vast swathes of Punjab, relief caravans from hundreds of miles away in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) are making their way south loaded with not just aid, but a powerful message of national unity and human solidarity.
Roads and streets are submerged and villages cut off mostly in Southern Punjab, the lines of compassion and connection between provinces are flowing stronger than ever.
One of the most notable responses has come from Alkhidmat foundation, a leading humanitarian organization, which has ramped up its operations beyond KP’s borders.
Over the past week, the organization has dispatched its third convoy of seven truckloads of relief goods from Peshawar to Multan, one of the hardest-hit districts in southern Punjab.
“Flood victim rehabilitation is our top priority and the people of KP stands with flood victims of Punjab and Sindh provinces,” says Khalid Waqas, President of Alkhidmat Foundation KP.
“In every calamity, the people of Punjab and Sindh have stood with KP. Now it is our turn to be there for them,” he reiterated. Equipped with 12 rescue boats, Alkhidmat volunteers have been actively navigating floodwaters in remote parts of Punjab, rescuing stranded individuals and transporting them to safer areas.
Their tent village, set up in Multan, now houses dozens of families who have lost everything. “We are not just sending aid. We are standing shoulder to shoulder with our Punjabi brothers and sisters in this hour of difficulty and will continue efforts till last affectee was rehabilitated,” says Abdul Wasi, Ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami KP Central, under whose guidance many of the volunteers are operating.
The latest convoy carries essential relief items including non-perishable food, kitchen sets, winter packages, children’s clothes, shoes, blankets and sanitation kits. This aid is vital, especially as temperatures begin to dip and floodwaters show no sign of receding soon.
It was not long ago in fact, just weeks when torrential rains wreaked havoc across KP’s northern districts like Swat, Chitral, and Dir. Lives were lost, homes were razed, and entire communities cut off. At that time, Punjab-based charities and individuals had responded with generosity.
“We have not forgotten how the people of Punjab and Sindh provinces were the first to send us help in floods and earthquakes,” Waqas says. “This bond goes beyond borders. It is built on humanity.”
Interestingly, the flood crisis in Pakistan has also drawn attention from international aid organizations. NGOs, some of whom have longstanding ties with South Asian disaster response networks, are reportedly coordinating with Pakistani relief agencies, offering logistical support and promising supplies of clean water filtration systems and medical aid kits.
Though modest in size, these international partners represent a growing trend of global grassroots solidarity where small, focused efforts can make significant impacts on the ground.
As waterlogged roads and broken bridges become temporary symbols of Pakistan’s physical fragility, the humanitarian bridges being built across its provinces and even borders remind us of the strength in shared struggle.
Alkhidmat Foundation, Jamaat-e-Islami, Muslim hands and a host of other NGOs and philanthropists are rewriting the narrative from one of helplessness to one of collective resilience.
Besides Alkidmat foundation, the others key NGOs operating in the flood-affected areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa include Sarhad Rural Support Programme (SRSP), Awaaz Welfare Foundation, DASTAK Foundation, Pak Mission Society, and Pakistan Red Crescent Society, which are providing services like disaster response, medical camps, food and shelter, and hygiene kit distribution.
Spokesman of SRSP told APP on Tuesday that large-scale relief operations has been launched for assistance of flood-affected communities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
He said that clean drinking water to nearly 10,000 people were provided besides installation of water tanks in Mingora, and served over 5,300 cooked meals in the hardest-hit areas.
In Swat, local laborers have been employed for debris clearance, offering both recovery assistance and vital income support. Medical teams have treated more than 1,000 patients through mobile health camps, while hygiene kits for women and girls were distributed in partnership with UNICEF, UNFPA, and Care International.
The organization’s ongoing assessments will shape the next phase of support, which includes the distribution of food, non-food items, and hygiene kits to thousands of families with the assistance of the Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund and other partners.
Officials said that beyond immediate relief, flood-affected communities urgently require livelihood recovery and reconstruction efforts, particularly in schools, health facilities, irrigation systems, and roads.
SRSP spokesman reaffirmed commitment to standing with families throughout the flood crisis, pledging to work with partners to restore essential services and help rebuild lives.
And as another convoy rolls out of Peshawar its trucks adorned with banners of solidarity and filled with the goodwill of the people of KP it is clear that in this battle against nature’s wrath, humanity is rising higher than the floodwaters.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Social Welfare, Syed Qasim Ali Shah, lauded philanthropists, NGOs and civil society organizations to contribute wholeheartedly to supporting the provincial government’s ongoing efforts for the assistance and rehabilitation of flood victims.
He said the collective effort would help ensure better support for all affected families on a fast track basis. The Minister said instructions to relevant authorities were issued for effective monitoring of relief activities through enhanced coordination between the social welfare department and NGOs. The minister assured that coordination of relief efforts will be maintained through district and field offices.