PRCS , IFRC Launch DREF Operation To Support Afghan Returnees From Pakistan

Umer Jamshaid Published May 09, 2025 | 06:10 PM

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 9th May, 2025) The Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS), in collaboration with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) officially launched the Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF) operation at the PRCS National Headquarters on Friday.

PRCS Secretary General Muhammad Abaid Ullah Khan and IFRC Programme Coordinator Manzoor Ali formally exchanged the signed documents to commence the operation.

PRCS Chairperson Mrs Farzhana Naek, Head of Norwegian Red Cross in Pakistan Dr Iftikhar Aliyar, Head of German Red Cross in Pakistan Asif Aman Khan, and representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), IFRC, and Turkish Red Crescent were also present on the occasion, a PRCS news release said.

The DREF initiative, amounting to 416,010 Swiss Francs, aims to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to Afghan nationals returning from Pakistan, addressing their immediate needs over a six-month period from April to

September 2025.

The DREF will support 60,000 Afghan national returnees from Pakistan with healthcare, psychological first aid, ambulance service, clean water, restoring family links and essential information mainly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces.

PRCS Chairperson Mrs Farzhana Naek on the occasion reaffirmed PRCS’s commitment to supporting vulnerable communities in times of crisis.

The DREF operation, she said, would enable “us to deliver timely and lifesaving assistance to Afghan returnees who face immense hardships. "We thank IFRC for their trust and partnership in this important humanitarian effort”.

IFRC Programme Coordinator Manzoor Ali lauded PRCS for its rapid mobilization and local response capacity and said, “We are proud to support PRCS through the DREF mechanism to ensure dignity, health, and protection for those returning to Afghanistan.”

The initiative demonstrated the power of local and international collaboration to address urgent humanitarian needs, and highlighted the critical role of PRCS in responding to displacement crises at the grassroots level, he added.