WAM ABU DHABI, 6th July 2009 (WAM) — The Government of United Arab Emirates, represented by Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation, and UNHCR has signed a partnership agreement to support humanitarian operations in Pakistan.

The agreement will provide for the needs of internally displaced persons (IDPs), mainly women and children, basic relief items such as tents, blankets, sleeping mats, plastic sheeting, mosquito nets and kitchen sets and also facilitate voluntary return of these people to their homes.

UNHCR considers the current humanitarian crisis, with more than 2 million IDPs in Pakistan’s North West Frontier Province and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, as one of the largest, fastest and most complex operations it has faced in years “We would like to express our deep gratitude and respect to the leadership and people of the UAE for their generous support, which underscores their important role in international humanitarian work,” said Panos Moumtzis, UNHCR’s Head of Resource Mobilization. “We value tremendously the UNHCR-Khalifa Foundation cooperation and consider it as one of the most important partnerships we have embarked upon in the region in the last decade.” Mohamed Haji Al Khoori, Executive Director of the Khalifa Foundation, said on the occasion, “We value our cooperation with UNHCR and feel delighted the UAE Government and the Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation are supporting the urgent humanitarian needs of the displaced families in Pakistan. We consider this to be our duty, according to our traditions and values,”.

Implementation of the project will start immediately, given the urgency of the needs in Pakistan.