THE ASIAN INDEPENDENT UK
Bal Ram Sampla
Geopolitics
When disasters happen, countries send help to victims. This help must be good quality and sent quickly. Recent problems with Pakistan’s disaster aid show serious mistakes and a refusal to take responsibility.
Two Major Problems
1. Turkey Earthquake (2023)
In February 2023, a huge earthquake hit Turkey and Syria. Many thousands of people died. Countries around the world sent help to Turkey.
Pakistan said it would send relief supplies. But there was a big problem: Pakistan took aid that Turkey had sent to Pakistan in 2022 (during Pakistan’s floods) and sent it back to Turkey. They changed the outside boxes but forgot to change the inside boxes. The inside boxes still had messages showing the supplies came from Turkey to Pakistan originally.
Turkey’s officials had to complain to Pakistan about this. This showed Pakistan was not serious about helping.
2. Sri Lanka Cyclone (2024)
In December 2024, Cyclone Ditwah hit Sri Lanka. Pakistan said it would send aid. The Pakistan High Commission posted photos of the aid packages online. The packages had water, milk, and biscuits.
But people looking at the photos saw a problem: the food packages showed expiration dates from October 2024. This means the food expired more than one year before Pakistan sent it. The food was old and possibly unsafe to eat.
Pakistan’s Response: Delete and Blame Others
Pakistan did not say “sorry” or “we made a mistake.” Instead:
First: Pakistan deleted the photos from social media. But many people had already taken screenshots.
Second: Pakistan blamed India. Pakistan said India blocked their aid airplane for more than 60 hours. Pakistan said this is why the aid was delayed.
But India said this was not true. India said they gave flight permission on the same day Pakistan asked for it. India called Pakistan’s claim “misinformation.”
Why This Is Important
Sending expired food and repackaged old aid shows Pakistan did not check the supplies properly. This is not a small mistake. It shows the system is broken.
No Responsibility
When countries make mistakes, they should:
(1) Admit the mistake
(2) Say sorry
(3) Fix the problem
Pakistan did not do this. Instead, Pakistan deleted evidence and blamed another country.
Using Disasters for Politics
Pakistan accused India of blocking aid while Pakistan itself was sending bad aid. This shows Pakistan cared more about politics than helping disaster victims.
Victims Suffer
The real problem: people in Sri Lanka and Turkey needed help. Instead of good aid, they got expired food and repackaged supplies. These people suffered because of Pakistan’s mistakes.
What Good Aid Should Look Like
Good disaster aid needs:
1. Quality checking – Make sure food is not expired, supplies are useful
2. Honesty – Operations should be open and clear
3. Taking responsibility – When mistakes happen, admit them and fix them
4. Real care – Actually want to help people, not just look good
Conclusion
We see a country’s true character when mistakes happen. Do leaders admit problems and fix them? Or do they hide evidence and blame others?
Pakistan made the same mistakes twice:
Turkey 2023: Sent back Turkey’s own aid
Sri Lanka 2024: Sent expired food
Both times, Pakistan did not take responsibility. Pakistan deleted evidence and blamed India.
Disaster victims need real help. When countries send bad aid and don’t say sorry, they break trust. They hurt the people who need help most.
Countries must do better. When they make mistakes, they must be honest. This is the only way to help people in disasters properly.
The lesson: Good intentions are not enough. Countries must have good systems, check quality, and take responsibility when things go wrong. Disaster victims deserve nothing less.
References
1.https://theprint.in/diplomacy/flood-relief-diplomacy-gone-wrong-pakistan-ships-expired-food-aid-to-sri-lanka/2796329/
2.https://www.dynamitenews.com/international/pakistan-faces-backlash-for-sending-expired-relief-supplies-to-sri-lanka-official-post-deleted
3.https://www.dawn.com/news/1958751
4.https://aninews.in/news/world/asia/yet-another-attempt-to-spread-anti-india-misinformation-mea-on-pakistans-overflight-clearance-claim20251202201508/
5.https://www.theweek.in/news/india/2025/12/02/anti-india-misinformation-delhi-slams-pakistan-over-sri-lanka-aid-clearance-claims.html
