Feature: China's humanitarian aid to Pakistani flood victims testimony of ironclad friendship

KARACHI, Pakistan, Aug. 31 (Xinhua) -- Ateeq ur Rehman, an operator at the airport in Pakistan's southern port city of Karachi, is working hard in hot weather, but with satisfaction, while unloading aid for Pakistan's flood victims from a Chinese aircraft.

"It's very pleasing that China has helped us a lot. We have heard that when China saw the destruction in Pakistan, it followed up with great help," he told Xinhua.

According to Pakistan's National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), over 33 million people and 72 districts in the country have been affected by the calamity.

The total death toll in Pakistan from this season's monsoon rains since mid-June has risen to at least 1,162, along with 3,554 others injured, the NDMA said on Tuesday.

In order to help Pakistan respond to the calamity, China sent humanitarian aid cargo to Karachi on Tuesday.

China provided very timely and much-needed relief aid for the flood-affected people of Pakistan, Minister for Power Khurram Dastgir Khan said at the handover ceremony.

"On behalf of the government of Pakistan, we want to thank and appreciate our iron-brother China for coming to our aid in this hour of difficulty and trial as millions of Pakistanis have been displaced, their homes have been washed out and their livelihoods have been destroyed," he added.

Speaking on the occasion, Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Nong Rong said that the Chinese government has expressed concern and sympathy to the people of Pakistan who have suffered from the disastrous floods.

"China and Pakistan are true friends and good brothers by sharing weal and woe. We have a fine tradition of helping each other and jointly coping with major natural disasters," he said.

Talking to Xinhua, Mohammad Farrukh Bashir, an official of Aeroworld Pakistan, a private aviation business services provider, said whenever Pakistan had faced any difficulty, China was the first country to come with support.

Now, China is again helping Pakistan at a time when lots of people have been affected by the floods, he said.

Meanwhile, under the social and livelihood cooperation framework of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, China had provided 4,000 tents, 50,000 blankets and 50,000 pieces of waterproof canvas, which have been delivered to the frontlines of disaster relief in Pakistan.

Labib Jaan, key account manager for charter businesses at Gerry's dnata, an air services provider for ground handling, said that at the time of every disaster, China has always helped Pakistan as a true and real friend.

The Chinese donation brought by this aircraft is another proof of their friendship gesture, he told Xinhua.

"We are thankful on behalf of the Pakistani nation to the entire Chinese nation to help Pakistan at the time of need," Jaan added.