ISLAMABAD: 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 today at PRCS National Headquarters in Islamabad.

The DREF initiative, amounting to CHF 416,010 aims to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to Afghan nationals returning from Pakistan, addressing their immediate needs over a six-month period from May to Oct 2025.

The Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF) will support 60,000 Afghan national returnees from Pakistan with health care, psychological first aid, ambulance service, clean water, restoring family links and essential information mainly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Baluchistan provinces.

Honourable Chairperson PRCS Mrs Farzhana Naek, Head of Norwegian Red Cross in Pakistan Dr Iftikhar Aliyar, Head of German Red Cross in Pakistan Mr Asif Aman Khan, representatives of ICRC, IFRC, and Turkish Red Crescent were also present on the occasion.

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

While speaking at the event, Chairperson PRCS, Mrs Farzhana Naek reaffirmed PRCS’s commitment to supporting vulnerable communities in times of crisis. She further added, DREF operation will 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 Mr. Manzoor Ali praised 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 demonstrates the power of local and international collaboration to address urgent humanitarian needs and highlights the critical role of PRCS in responding to displacement crises at the grassroots level.