Pakistan consulate in Dubai rallies support for flood victims in Pakistan

Dubai: The Consulate General of Pakistan in Dubai has called on donors to help millions of Pakistanis affected by the unprecedented rains and floods that have swept the country in recent days.

In a message sent to Gulf News on Friday, Pakistan Consul General Hassan Afzal Khan said: “Pakistan has experienced unprecedented rains and floods this year. This natural catastrophe has affected millions of people and resulted in loss of lives and livelihood. The government of Pakistan is making all efforts to rescue the affected residents and provide relief measures in the form of food, shelter and basic survival amenities. To amplify the relief efforts, we are mobilising national and international support.”

He added: “The government of Pakistan has created a Prime Minister’s Flood Relief Fund for the rehabilitation of affected residents. We are sharing the information so international donors and overseas Pakistanis can directly contribute to the relief fund.”

How to send help

According to an advisory from the Pakistani Consulate, all commercial and micro-finance banks can receive donations and contributions for relief fund from overseas donors and overseas Pakistanis as per the following guidelines:

Wire transfer

Overseas donors, including overseas Pakistanis may donate to the fund through wire transfer in the Fund Account maintained with their respective bank. They would simply advise their respective banks to transmit the donation amount in the Fund Account by debiting their accounts. The banks shall transmit the consolidated amount of donations received in the Fund account to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on daily-basis through ‘Real Time Gross Settlement’ (RTGS) system.

Transfer through money service bureaus, money transfer operators, exchange houses

Overseas donors may also donate through money service bureaus, money transfer operators (such as MoneyGram, Western Union) and exchange houses in line with the arrangements in place for receiving home remittances. Banks receiving such remittances in the fund account shall transfer the consolidated amount through RTGS to the SBP on daily basis.

The commercial banks offering Roshan Digital Account (RDA) are making the “PM Flood Relief Fund” available on their Roshan Samaji Khidmat page/portal enabling RDA holders to contribute to the fund in a hassle free manner. The banks will transmit donations received through RDA to SBP along with donations received through other sources on daily basis through RTGS.