President Raisi Offers Relief Aid to Flood-Hit Pakistan
TEHRAN -- President Ebrahim Raisi says the Islamic Republic is ready to provide Pakistan with relief aid in the face of monsoon rains and flooding which has killed more than 1,000 people.
In a phone call with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, President Raisi said he has tasked relevant bodies in Iran to supply all necessary assistance to the flood-hit people as soon as possible.
He offered his condolences and expressed his sympathy with the Pakistani prime minister over the tragedy.
Elsewhere in his remarks, the Iranian president stressed the importance of improving cordial relations between Tehran and Islamabad.
The Pakistani prime minister, for his part, briefed President Raisi on the damage caused by the deadly floods and hailed the Iranian government and people for their sympathy.
Sharif said Iran has always supported Pakistan in hard times.
Climate Change Minister Sherry Rehman has called the floods “a catastrophe of epic scale”. On Friday, the Pakistani government declared an emergency and appealed for international assistance.
Officials say this year’s floods have inundated more than a fifth of Pakistan, similar to the 2010 floods that killed more than 2,000 people in the country.