China's relief aid to Pakistan reaches 120 mln yuan

China has provided a total of 120 million yuan worth of humanitarian supplies to Pakistan in three batches, said Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu here Saturday.

"As Pakistan's neighbor and all-weather friend, China empathizes with Pakistan on the heavy casualties and property loss caused by the natural disasters," Jiang said in a written statement.

She said China's humanitarian aid to Pakistan was timely, efficient, sincere and without any additional conditions.

China will do what it can to help, including continuing to offer disaster relief materials and participating in the post-disaster reconstruction, she said.

China's People's Liberation Army has sent emergency equipment including generators, sludge-cleaning and water purification devices to Pakistan's armed forces to aid the country's flood relief work.

At the request of Pakistan, the Chinese government has decided to offer emergency supplies to help people in flood-stricken northern Pakistan, including rice, flour, sugar and other daily necessities.

The first batch of materials is being transported overland to northern Pakistan, Jiang said.

A Chinese search and rescue team arrived Friday in the southern Pakistani city of Thatta, Sindh Province, where heavy floods swept away hundreds of villages.

The Chinese rescue team, consisting of more than 60 members, set up tents and field hospitals to provide medical services to flood victims, she said.

She said the Red Cross Society of China and some of China's local governments, including Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region and Sichuan Province, had also offered cash and material assistance to Pakistan.

Some Chinese enterprises in Pakistan have donated humanitarian aid such as tents, food, medicine and face masks to the country, she added.

The month-long devastating floods, the worst in Pakistan's history, have killed at least 1,600 people, affected over 20 million and destroyed 900,000 homes.

Source: Xinhua