MUZAFFARABAD -  The Azad Jammu and Kashmir government has urged the Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS) to extend its relief activities to the areas along the Line of Control as these are worst affected by the natural disasters and conflict.

Acting President of Azad Jammu & Kashmir Shah Ghulam Qadir said this during a meeting with a delegation of the Pakistan Red Crescent Society and Danish Red Cross at President House Azad Kashmir. The delegation includes Secretary General PRC, Ghulam Muhammad Awan, President DRC, Hanna Line Jakobsen, Secretary General DRC Anders Ladekarl and Deputy Head of Mission Danish Embassy, Jakob Rogild Jakobsen, DRC Pakistan Head Asif Aman and PRC AJK Secretary Yasir Manzoor.

He also lauded the community-based programmes executed by Danish Red Crescent. The Acting President appreciated the community-based programme of the DRC and hoped that it will benefit the people as government alone cannot overcome the challenges.

Speaking on the occasion, Secretary General PRCS Ghulam Muhammad Awan said that PRCS is working at an impressive pace in all provinces of Pakistan with wide range activities in domain of disaster response, healthcare, water sanitation & hygiene, shelter support, restoration of family links, livelihood promotion, mine risk education, gender mainstreaming. Awan said that Danish Red Cross (DRC) has been working in Pakistan with the Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS) since 2004 for strengthening of communities and local authorities on disaster response and recovery, risk reduction and to improved coping mechanisms. He said that so far over 600,000 people in Pakistan have benefited from DRC’s work. Commenting on the progress of DRC projects in Azad Kashmir, President DRC stated that DRC is grateful to the most vulnerable people of Pakistan especially those living in Kashmir, Mahnoor Valley for their worthy support and long term partnership with PRC. She said DRC with the support of PRC is working on Maternal New Born Child Health, water & sanitation, hygiene and health in more than 30 villages of Muzaffarabad.

Secretary General DRC Anders Ladekarl also lauded the efforts of both DRC and PRC teams in mitigating the sufferings of vulnerable segment of society. He said that around 31 water supply schemes were initiated in 10 villages of district Muzafarabad and out of these 29 have been completed while work on two schemes is in progress.

She said that construction of 790 household latrines and 10 model latrines have been successfully completed in 10 villages of the Union Council Sarli Sacha.

Jakob Jakobsen, Deputy Head of Mission of the Embassy of Denmark, who was also part of the delegation, shared that protection of vulnerable and marginalised groups through provision of basic amenities was a priority of the Danish government.