Pakistan Navy (PN) was well-equipped with all its available resources at high alert with the requisite assets to assist the inhabitants of coastal areas of Sindh in case of any emergency amid tropical Cyclone Biparjoy on June 13, 2023. PN troops evacuated 700 personnel from various Goths of Shah Bandar, and 64 fishermen have been rescued from the sea.

A cyclone monitoring cell was activated at Headquarters Commander Karachi to monitor the developments and coordinate the responses. PN Joint Maritime Information Coordination Center (JMICC) relays information to all stakeholders, regularly especially the fishermen community, not to venture into the open sea in rough weather. PN’s emergency response and medical teams were also deployed at the coastal areas of Balochistan and rural areas of Sindh, including Hyderabad, Shaheed Benazirabad, Sukkur, and Sanghar for swift Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) missions. PN Ships patrol and maintain vigilance in the open sea to assist distressed vessels during such circumstances. PN’s hospitals in Karachi were on high alert to deal with any emergency.
Besides closely monitoring the developments, PN continuously liaised with National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), provincial government, and the local administration to provide emergency assistance when required.

On June 14, 2023, PN actively participated in rescue and relief operations in the Creeks area. In collaboration with the district government, PN Emergency Response Teams (ERTs) evacuated over thousand personnel from various remote villages of the Chuhar Jamali area. Additionally, 40 local fishermen, including children, were rescued from Kajhar and the adjoining Creeks. The rescued fishermen were provided necessary medical assistance by PN medical teams that were exclusively employed. Diving teams of PN Special Services Group (SSG) assisted the local administration in safely evacuating 9000 personnel from Keti Bandar, Karo Chan and Tarky Bundar to relief camps. ERT from PN Creeks Brigade patrolled remote coastal areas to assist the aggrieved populace immediately.
From June 15-17, PN conducted wide-scale HADR operations in the far-flung coastal areas of Sindh and Balochistan.
ERT, in coordination with the local administration, evacuated personnel and provided edibles to the aggrieved populace. PN’s ERT evacuated over 17,000 inhabitants from various coastal areas of Keti Bandar, Kharo Chan, Shah Bandar, Baghan, Sujawal, Chuhar Jamali, and Jati City. Additionally, 46 fishing boats of the local populace of Ormara city were provided shelter at Ormara Naval Harbour. PN Ships and ERT continued to patrol at sea and in the affected areas to respond to distress calls of seafarers efficiently.
The Sindh government’s health department held a medical camp at Keti Bandar in coordination with World Health Organization (WHO). WHO’s Country head of Pakistan, Dr. Palitha Mahi Pala from Sri Lanka, also visited and monitored healthcare activities. Around 230 people were treated in the medical camp and were also provided with mosquito nets.
PN's medical teams provided healthcare facilities to the affectees at shelter camps while patrolling in PN ships. ERTs in the sea and affected areas continued to respond promptly to distress calls.
The relief operation in catastrophe-hit areas of Sindh and Balochistan is a practical manifestation of PN's resolve to provide every possible assistance to fellow citizens in their hour of need.