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Eid rush slows down transport of relief

DUBAI — Transportation of aid to quake-hit Pakistan has run into a couple of glitches, temporarily slowing down the flow of relief to that country from the UAE.

Eid is partly to blame. More and more people are travelling to Pakistan to be with families during Eid, and this has cut down on space for aid goods in aircraft even as airports in Pakistan are saturated with tonnes and tonnes of aid-material.

It is somewhat a similar situation at the Dubai International Airport, with tonnes of relief goods waiting to be carried to destinations in Pakistan.

Speaking to Khaleej Times, Abbas Raza Dar, Country Manager of Air Blue, said, "There is a huge backlog of goods at the Karachi Airport. The number of direct flights to Islamabad from the UAE is less because several relief and rescue aircraft are frequenting the airport, so there are no parking stops for normal carriers. We also have instructions not to carry relief goods in huge quantities to ensure the smooth flow of aid."

Three weeks after the massive earthquake hit Pakistan, relief work and donations from the Pakistan expat community are also slowing down, mainly because air carriers are now facing a shortage of space.

A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) official said, "Each year during the Eid season, we witness a surge of passengers flying to celebrate Eid with their families in Pakistan. From the UAE, each passenger is allowed a minimum baggage allowance of 50kg. But with the rush there is no space for cargo. The airline is already operating two extra flights to cope with the rush."

PIA has been transporting relief goods free of charge from the UAE for the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund.

Speaking to Khaleej Times, Tanvir Khawaja, chief organiser of the Joint Relief Committee of the Pakistani community, said that goods were being transported in other airlines including Emirates, Gulf Air, Air Blue and Aero Asia because the major portion of goods was supposed to be delivered to NGOs. "Until now, all these airlines have cooperated with us and carried our goods, but now because of the Eid rush we are only allowed space for five tonnes." He said Pakistani expats should from now on only send the most needed relief items to Pakistan till the problem of transportation was resolved.

Also, with the passage of time, donations too have dwindled. "We have to now personally call up people to come forward and donate because the need of the people suffering in Pakistan is not yet over," said Shahidul Islam, General-Secretary of the Pakistan Association in Dubai.

The Head of Chancery at the Consulate-General of Pakistan, Imran Mirza, said, "Already 1,000 tonnes of goods have been transported by chartered airlines and even by sea. Donations have fallen in recent days."