Pakistan on Sunday offered to send a team of doctors and paramedics to the hurricane-hit region of the United States to support relief agencies. "The Pakistan embassy in Washington is in constant contact with the task force established by the US Department of State to assist foreign governments in reaching their citizens evacuated from New Orleans," an embassy statement said.
The embassy was also working with the Office of Crisis Management Support, which is the focal point for all the disaster relief efforts to provide help to the affected members of the Pakistani community.
"The embassy is also working closely with members of the community and the community organisations," the statement said, adding, "the consul general of Pakistan in Houston has visited the victims of the disaster.
The embassy has also established an emergency response unit to assist Pakistani nationals who are affected by the hurricane. Information about the affected Pakistanis may be e-mailed to katrinaresponse@embassyofpakistan.org.
The embassy is co-ordinating the Pakistani-American community's relief efforts with the American Red Cross.
Contributions to the disaster relief fund may be sent to the local American Red Cross chapter or to the American Red Cross, PO Box 37243, Washington DC 20013. Online contributions can also he made by visiting www.redcross.org.
There were around 2700 Pakistanis and Pakistani-Americans in the areas affected by Katrina. Several of them have lost their homes and are now in temporary shelters, the embassy statement said.