ISLAMABAD, Jan 22 (APP):The Pakistan Red Crescent Society and the International Committee of the Red Cross held high level talks at the PRCS National Headquarters, where Chairperson PRCS Farzhana Naek and ICRC Head of Delegation in Pakistan Mr Christoph Sutter discussed to find ways to urgently scale up coordinated humanitarian assistance for vulnerable communities in the Merged Areas, particularly in district Kurram and Tirah Valley, in response to a rapidly evolving humanitarian situation.
During the meeting, Chairperson PRCS Farzhana Naek briefed the ICRC Head of Delegation on the evolving ground realities and the growing humanitarian needs of crisis affected populations.
She stressed that the fragile and sensitive nature of the Merged Areas demands immediate, well coordinated, and sustained humanitarian action to address food insecurity, health needs, displacement pressures, and protection concerns.
MS Naek said that timely intervention is critical to improve living conditions and to safeguard the dignity and wellbeing of affected families.
She also reaffirmed that PRCS highly values its long standing partnership with the ICRC in responding to humanitarian needs across Pakistan.
Mr Christoph Sutter reaffirmed the ICRC’s commitment to further strengthening its relationship with PRCS and expressed readiness to step forward in support of efforts to address the emerging humanitarian situation in Tirah district and the Kurram Valley.
Mr Sutter said the ICRC stands prepared to provide technical, operational, and material support to enhance the collective response capacity of PRCS in the Merged Areas.
He also reiterated the ICRC’s commitment to supporting the PRCS Merged Areas Branch through the PRCS National Headquarters to ensure an effective and timely response.
Commending PRCS for its swift action, Mr Christoph Sutter appreciated the deployment of National Disaster Response Teams to the affected areas of Kurram and Tirah, describing it as a timely, proactive, and essential step to meet urgent humanitarian needs on the ground.
He said the presence of trained response teams will play a crucial role in needs assessment, emergency relief distribution, and community level support for vulnerable households.
The meeting concluded with a shared resolve by PRCS and ICRC to further strengthen coordination, information sharing, and operational collaboration.
Both sides underscored that providing timely and life saving humanitarian assistance to affected communities is a collective responsibility and reaffirmed their commitment to working together to promote resilience and wellbeing across Pakistan’s most vulnerable regions.