Home » Blog Row, The Water Cooler

Individual International Donors are Asked to Send Food via PIA

By Talib Qizilbash 25 August 2010 3 Comments
Share

flood-family-pack-pia-2010

Survival kit: This is the ideal kit for flood victims who still have not made it to a relief camp, says Fakhr-e-Alam, who has coordinated a relief programme with PIA. Source: piac.com.pk

In an email from the finance director of Shahina Aftab Foundation (SAF), Noor Aftab, in which she was appealing for help to put together funds for hygiene kits, there was a interesting addendum at the bottom of her note:

Our director International, Maham, just sent the following message: PIA has started free delivery for transportation of relief goods to Pakistan. You can drop them off at your nearest PIA office and let them know which organization to send it to, and they’ll send it completely free of cost.

It seemed like an ideal service for people who have nice quality tents and clean, well-packaged clothes to send. So I checked out the PIA website. On the website, a message under the headline “Free Airlift of Relief Goods” states that all relief supplies can be sent through PIA’s domestic and international networks:

Collection & Help Desks have been created at all stations in the PIA network to facilitate donors. PIA’s Emergency Response Centre is working 24/7 to maintain close liaison with all stations to streamline logistics.

It is a matter of pride for us that Fakhr-e-Alam has decided to join hands with PIA. His rich experience and expertise will go a long way in ensuring efficient and targeted collection.

However, an informational video by Fakhr-e-Alam states clearly that he wants international donors to send food, not tents or clothes, via PIA at this time. The idea is to try to limit the amount of food inflation in Pakistan by buying the food outside the country and shipping it for free via PIA. PIA has specified the ideal box size (15 inches W x 15 inches L x 12 inches D) for transport and handling in the field (watch the video below). At this time, Alam, the well-known entertainer who has become known for his relief work, is very clear about not sending uncooked items like rice and lentils. Most displaced people are not in tent camps yet, and they have nowhere to cook, he says. If you live outside Pakistan and want to send food, then he instructs you exactly what to buy and pack – he has taken stock of the situation firsthand (though different people and different areas will have different needs). Nonetheless, his recommendations will surprise some. Here are the main food items he is asking individual international donors to send:

  • Juice boxes with straws
  • 1.5L bottles of mineral water
  • salty biscuits
  • sweet biscuits
  • chocolate
  • potato chips
  • Tetra Pak milk

After going through the list of food, Fakhr-e-Alam reminds donors to ensure that “all items are 100% halal.”

But in the end, he wants people to pack more than food. Bars of soap, plastic glasses/cups and a cotton bed sheet also make his list of critical items. The bed sheet, he says, can be used for multiple purposes: as a blanket, mat, or to provide shade.

On arrival in Pakistan, the boxes of relief goods will be passed directly on to the Pakistan Army and other NGOs who have the best logistics networks in place.

Of course, this is only one option for international donors. Some people may not feel comfortable not knowing exactly who will be handling their packed box or what happens to their box once it lands in a Pakistani airport. Many international aid agencies, such as UNICEF, the Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders, will take cash donations, and many Pakistani NGOs, like BSRP (Balochistan Rural Support Programme), have foreign currency bank accounts in US dollars and Euros. There are many ways people outside Pakistan can give. Do your due diligence and then pick a method and organisation with which you are comfortable.

If you have more queries about PIA’s relief support and efforts, here’s how to get more info:

Call PIA’s Emergency Response Centre:
+92.21.990.44372
+92.21.990.44862

Visit their website here.

Talib Qizilbash has been freelance writing since 2003. He joined Newsline in 2006, working as both a writer and editor, and has won a national APNS award for his writing. He is currently the magazine’s online editor. Find him on twitter @tqizilbash.


Find more articles by Talib Qizilbash
The opinions expressed in this article and the views shared by readers in the comment forum below do not necessarily reflect the editorial stance or policies of Newsline.

Share this post:



1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (No Ratings Yet)
Loading ... Loading ...

3 Comments »

  • Umm Salihaa said:

    Are they actually reaching their destination?

    # 26 August 2010 at 8:34 am
  • Online Editor said:

    For more information, it is important that people call PIA directly.

    See their website for RELIEF HELP DESK section of their website for CARGO MANAGERS’ numbers and contact information. The link is: http://www.piac.com.pk/Flood_Relief/ERP.htm

    Here is the info for London, UK:
    London – UK – Mr. Tariq Hussain
    0044-7506857192
    lhrfapk@piac.aero

    The list has other numbers and contact details for 45 other international and Pakistani cities.

    # 26 August 2010 at 1:22 pm
  • Noor said:

    Shahina Aftab Foundation (SAF), received the first consignment despite rumors, delays and PIA flights being cancelled from United Kingdom—78 boxes of relief good packaged with love and prayers from donors arrived here in Islamabad on 3rd September, 2010. It took an entire day to get it cleared from customs after having an NOC from NDMA. We had our fingers crossed the entire time. But on 4th September after paying charges to agents, we were able to get 1094 Kgs of relief goods.

    These we would be taking to SWAT where 200,000 women, children and disabled are stranded. The security risks are high, roads are broken and almost no communication network exists. SAF team will be getting these supplies through Operation Imdad— where donors across the world are joining us for relief efforts.

    # 5 September 2010 at 6:01 pm