British High Commissioner Jane Marriott endorses PRCS responses to natural calamities

Celina Ali

Islamabad: Chairman of the Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS), Sardar Shahid Ahmed Laghari, held a pivotal meeting on Friday with Ms Jane Marriott, the British High Commissioner to Pakistan, at the British High Commission in Islamabad.

The high-level discussion focused on enhancing humanitarian cooperation, with particular emphasis on addressing health and climate challenges impacting Pakistan. PRCS Secretary General and other senior officers were also present.

During the meeting, the PRCS chief highlighted Pakistan’s critical vulnerability to climate change and outlined PRCS’s ongoing initiatives aimed at mitigating the impacts of disasters and building climate resilience. Acknowledging the vital support from the United Kingdom during national crises, he emphasised the shared commitment to long-term rehabilitation, livelihood restoration, and sustainable development for disaster-affected communities across Pakistan.

High Commissioner Ms Jane Marriott praised the significant strides PRCS has made under Laghari’s leadership, particularly in modernizing the organization and expanding its impact. She noted Pakistan’s troubling position as the seventh most vulnerable country on the climate risk index and commended PRCS’s forward-thinking initiatives, including the establishment of a Climate Change Unit and the promotion of green office practices. Ms Marriott encouraged further proactive measures, underscoring the urgency of collective action to address climate change.

The two leaders explored potential avenues for collaboration between PRCS and the British Red Cross, focusing on areas such as Migration and Displacement, Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA), Disaster Preparedness, and Risk Reduction. PRCS’s climate action efforts were also a key focus of the conversation, including projects such as CACRA (Climate Advocacy and Coordination for Resilient Action) and youth-led climate initiatives. Chairman Laghari shared PRCS’s vision for a climate research center and discussed ongoing reforestation and waste management projects.

Chairman Laghari extended an invitation to High Commissioner Marriott to visit the PRCS National Headquarters, emphasising the importance of ongoing dialogue and knowledge exchange in humanitarian work. In recognition of their shared commitment, he presented her with a commemorative shield and a special souvenir symbolizing PRCS’s mission.

High Commissioner Marriott also received a magazine celebrating recent PRCS milestones, as well as Sardar Shahid Ahmed Laghari’s book Dastan-e-Azam.