ISLAMABAD: Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Islamabad paid a visit to Pakistan’s Neelam Valley, the Saudi Embassy said on Saturday, after devastating flash floods in the northernmost region of Azad Kashmir killed dozens last week.
The ambassador was accompanied by a team from King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) and discussed on-ground humanitarian requirements after reviewing severe damage and loss of life caused by the heavy monsoon rains. At least 22 people have reportedly died in the floods.
Pakistan’s military officers as well as local authorities briefed the envoy about assessments on damages.
Ahmed Raza Qadri, Minister for State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) told Arab News that flash floods
caused by a heavy cloudburst adversely impacted Leswa Village in the Neelum Valley on July 15, with more than 150 houses, shops and mosques impacted in the area.
Rescue teams comprising officials of district administration, disaster management authority and local police are conducting search and rescue operations in the area, Qadri added.
According to the National Disaster Management Authority, (NDMA) the army is assisting the local administration in the rescue and recovery mission. Last week, the military’s media wing reported that 52 residents had been rescued.
Neelam Valley is a popular tourist destination located near the Line of Control (LoC) — the de facto border that splits Kashmir between Pakistan and India.
Saudi envoy visits flood-ravaged area in Azad Kashmir
Saudi envoy visits flood-ravaged area in Azad Kashmir
- Team from King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center accompanied Saudi envoy
- Last week, heavy rains and flash floods killed at least 22 in Neelum Valley, a tourist hotspot
