Islamabad: In a significant move to assist families devastated by the 2022 monsoon floods, the Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS), led by Chairman Sardar Shahid Ahmed Laghari, has distributed 210 loader rickshaws across several districts in Sindh and Balochistan. This distribution is part of the PRCS Livelihood Assistance Program aimed at bolstering the economic resilience of the affected communities.

According to Relief Web, the initiative was carried out in collaboration with the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and is designed to provide sustainable income sources to the families hardest hit by the floods. The rickshaws were handed over to selected families in Dadu, Khairpur, Shikarpur, Larkana, Qambar Shahdadkot in Sindh, and Jaffarabad in Balochistan, with each district receiving 35 vehicles.

The distribution events, held in the first and second weeks of June, were attended by notable figures including PRCS Secretary General Muhammad Abaidullah Khan and Dr. Asfar Shams, Health Coordinator for the IFRC Country Delegation in Pakistan. These ceremonies also saw participation from local officials, PRCS and IFRC volunteers, community members, and local dignitaries.

In his remarks at the events, Chairman Laghari commended the dedication of the PRCS staff and volunteers in facilitating the community’s recovery process. He reiterated the organization’s commitment to comprehensive recovery efforts, which include not only livelihood assistance but also shelter construction, cash transfers, and health and hygiene programs.

Piwi Ophoff, Head of the IFRC Country Delegation in Pakistan, emphasized the critical role of the loader rickshaw initiative in the Flood Recovery Programme. “This initiative not only helps in the immediate recovery from the flood’s impacts,” said Ophoff, “but also in establishing a long-term, self-sustaining mechanism to support the livelihoods of the most vulnerable families.”

The PRCS’s ongoing efforts are supported by various partners within the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, ensuring that the aid provided is both effective and sustainable. This initiative follows previous distributions, such as buffaloes to the same districts, highlighting a continuous commitment to aiding flood-impacted communities.