UAE gives homes to Pakistani quake victims

DUBAI // More than 200 families will today move into Sheikh Khalifa City, a new township in an earthquake-ravaged area of Pakistan, as part of a UAE humanitarian drive.

The UAE Red Crescent will hand over the houses to families in Balakot, nearly 100 kilometres from the capital Islamabad, to help families still recovering from the devastating earthquake of 2005, in which more than 75,000 people died.

"We will submit the 223 houses located in the Sheikh Khalifa City," Ahmed Al Mazroui, the chairman of the UAE Red Crescent Authority (RCA), said from Islamabad.

"The town has hospitals, schools and mosques. We started construction a couple of years ago after the earthquake."

Officials are looking at building more houses and other developments in the area.

The RCA is planning to give buffaloes to families in Sindh province.

While in the country, Mr Al Mazroui also inaugurated the RCA's office at the Pakistan Red Crescent Society headquarters in Islamabad.

Meanwhile, the RCA yesterday said it had handed out 500 food parcels as part of its continuing efforts to help Syrian refugees in Lebanon.

The agency gave baby milk to hundreds of displaced families in north Lebanon and visited government hospitals.

pkannan@thenational.ae