The Chinese government has decided to provide 100 million yuan (around $14.5 million) of emergency humanitarian assistance, including 25,000 tents and other disaster relief materials urgently needed by flood-hit Pakistan, said Zheng Yuandong, an official with the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA) on August 26. 

According to CIDCA, the Chinese Air Force will dispatch two Y-20 planes on Tuesday and Wednesday, flying a total of four times to deliver the most urgently needed first batch of 3,000 tents to the disaster-stricken areas for resettlement. Two planes have departed from Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport on Tuesday morning and are expected to arrive at Karachi Airport later the same day.

In addition, Zheng said the Red Cross Society of China provided emergency cash assistance of $300,000 to the Pakistani Red Crescent and the Chinese embassy in Pakistan organized Chinese enterprises in Pakistan to donate 15 million rupees ($250,000) to Pakistan.

China will transport the remaining 22,000 tents and other supplies to the disaster area as soon as possible according to the disaster situation and Pakistan's needs, Zheng said.

Noting that it is currently the harvest season of crops in Pakistan, Zheng said the CIDCA and the Pakistani embassy in China have set up a joint working panel to be responsible for implementing follow-up cooperation in emergency disaster relief, and will provide support to Pakistan in post-disaster reconstruction, epidemic prevention and food shortages according to the needs of Pakistan.

China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic cooperative partners and "ironclad" friends, Zheng said, adding that CIDCA developed an assistance plan as soon as possible and strengthened the coordination among all related departments, and will step up coordination and strive for more resources to support Pakistan.

In a statement posted by the counselor of the Embassy of Pakistan in China, Naeem Iqbal Cheema, Pakistan showed deep appreciation to the support and help from the Chinese government, saying that "the gesture of our Chinese brothers and sisters is very touching".

Flash floods across much of Pakistan have now killed at least a thousand people following days of monsoon rains since mid-June. Over 33 million people have been affected so far.