Pakistan Sent 2022 Flood Relief Aid to Turkey and Syria’s Earthquake Victims

A $3 million grant intended for Pakistan’s 2022 flood victims was redirected to assist earthquake survivors in Turkiye and Syria, according to revelations made during a Public Accounts Committee (PAC) meeting. The disclosure emerged as the committee, chaired by Junaid Akbar Khan, examined audit reports for the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and Ministry of Communications covering fiscal years 2022-23 and 2023-24. Audit documents revealed that Rs. 552.599 million in Asian Development Bank (ADB) funds earmarked for purchasing relief supplies for Pakistani flood victims was instead used for rehabilitation efforts in the two earthquake-affected countries. The original grant agreement, signed on September 16, 2022, was specifically designated for emergency flood response in Pakistan. The NDMA had procured winterized tents and blankets using these funds during the 2022-23 financial year, ostensibly for Pakistan’s flood-affected communities. However, auditors discovered that contrary to the grant’s stated purpose and agreement provisions, these supplies were shipped to Turkiye and Syria, effectively depriving Pakistani flood victims of intended relief. The audit noted that since the grant was explicitly meant to provide life-preserving services to communities affected by Pakistan’s 2022 monsoon floods, using it elsewhere was unjustified. When questioned, NDMA officials explained that the relief items were diverted due to “very tight timeline of relief operation given by the prime minister” following the earthquakes in Turkiye and Syria. They claimed the supplies had since been “recouped and re-stocked for the purpose for which the grant was made.” During a Departmental Accounts Committee meeting held February 26, 2025, officials maintained that the NDMA dispatched relief items to disaster-stricken areas on the Prime Minister’s directives, arguing there was “no issue of unauthorised issuance of flood relief items.” The PAC has requested a comprehensive report on the matter within one month.