HELP PAKISTAN AND KASHMIR AFTER DEVASTATING, MASSIVE FLOODS

[nancyk58]

HELP PAKISTAN AND KASHMIR AFTER DEVASTATING, MASSIVE FLOODS

 

PAKISTAN AND THE INDIAN-ADMINISTERED PART OF KASHMIR HAVE BEEN HIT BY DEVASTATING FLOODS TRIGGERED BY HEAVY MONSOON RAIN.

 

The UN estimates that 1,600 people have died in Pakistan's floods and the Pakistani government has confirmed 1,243 deaths.

 

About 220,000 were killed in the December 2004 tsunami in Asia.

 

THIS FLOOD DISASTER is AFFECTING 20 MILLION PEOPLE ACROSS PAKISTAN = 12% OF PAKISTAN'S POPULATION AND MORE THAN THE WORLD's THREE DISASTERS COMBINED.

 

More than THREE MILLION people were AFFECTED by the 2005 PAKISTAN EARTHQUAKE,

 

FIVE MILLION were affected by the 2004 TSUNAMI and

 

THREE MILLION were affected by the HAITI EARTHQUAKE IN JANUARY.

 

20 MILLION PEOPLE AFFECTED / MADE HOMELESS BY THE FLOODS, AT LEAST 6 MILLION OF THEM CHILDREN AT RISK OF MALNUTRITION, PNEUMONIA and DIARRHOEA

 

 

 

 

Donate now! UNICEF:

 

http://www.supportunicef.org/site/pp.aspx?c=9fLEJSOALpE&b=258155 +

http://www.supportunicef.org/site/pp.asp?c=9fLEJSOALpE&b=6161181

 

UNICEF: What your money can do:

 

$25 can provide immunization to protect a child for life against the six leading child diseases: measles, polio, diptheria, whooping cough, tetanus and tuberculosis.

 

$100 can provide a basic family water kit for ten households, with detergent, soap, wash basin, towels, bucket and water purification tablets.

 

$250 can provide one "School-in-a-Box" kit containing basic education supplies for 80 children during times of crisis.

 

 

You can also donate via American RED CROSS - go to:

http://www.redcross.org/portal/site/en/menuitem.1a019a978f421296e81ec89e43181aa0/?vgnextoid=3c40e8617475a210VgnVCM10000089f0870aRCRD

 

 

From Disasters Emergency Committee, DEC - http://www.dec.org.uk/donate_now/

 

Donate Now to the Pakistan Floods Appeal

 

Online: Click here to donate online

 

Phone: Call 0370-60-60-900 to make your donation

 

Text: Text 70707 with the word GIVE to donate £5. A standard network rate charge will apply. Terms & Conditions here.

Post: Please make cheques payable to DEC PAKISTAN FLOODS APPEAL and post it to DEC PAKISTAN FLOODS APPEAL, PO BOX 999, LONDON, EC3A 3AA. Download the Donate by post form.

 

The DEC is an umbrella organisation of 13 UK humanitarian aid agencies - ActionAid, Age UK, British Red Cross, Care International, Cafod, Christian Aid, Concern, Islamic Relief, Merlin, Oxfam, Save the Children, Tearfund and World Vision.

 

 

CAF: Donate using your CAF card here

 

Or go to any Post Office quoting Freepay number 1384 or any high street bank to make your donation.

 

 

PAKISTAN FLOODS

Oxfam is responding to the worst floods in northwest Pakistan in decades. We aim to reach 650,000 people with clean water, sanitation kits and hygiene supplies, to help prevent the spread of water-borne diseases amongst the estimated 14 million people affected. We're hoping to raise $6 million.

 

http://www.oxfam.org/

 

Oxfam is hoping to raise $6 million for our immediate and our long-term response. With your assistance we can continue to help people deal with the current crisis and its aftermath. Please donate now – these Oxfam affiliates are running direct appeals for the recent Pakistan floods:

 

Oxfam America

Oxfam Australia

Oxfam GB

Oxfam Germany

Oxfam Hong Kong in English or Chinese (traditional or simplified)

Oxfam New Zealand

 

Oxfam Novib (Netherlands)

Oxfam-Québec

Intermon Oxfam (Spain)

 

Alternatively, you can also make a donation to the general emergency fund of your nearest national Oxfam affiliate. Your money will be used to fund our emergency work worldwide, which includes responding in countries such as Pakistan.

 

 

 

PAKISTAN AND THE INDIAN-ADMINISTERED PART OF KASHMIR HAVE BEEN HIT BY DEVASTATING FLOODS TRIGGERED BY HEAVY MONSOON RAIN.

 

The UN estimates that 1,600 people have died in Pakistan's floods and the Pakistani government has confirmed 1,243 deaths.

 

About 220,000 were killed in the December 2004 tsunami in Asia.

 

THIS FLOOD DISASTER is AFFECTING 20 MILLION PEOPLE ACROSS PAKISTAN = 12% OF PAKISTAN'S POPULATION AND MORE THAN THE WORLD's THREE DISASTERS COMBINED.

 

More than THREE MILLION people were AFFECTED by the 2005 PAKISTAN EARTHQUAKE,

 

FIVE MILLION were affected by the 2004 TSUNAMI and

 

THREE MILLION were affected by the HAITI EARTHQUAKE IN JANUARY.

 

20 MILLION PEOPLE AFFECTED / MADE HOMELESS BY THE FLOODS, AT LEAST 6 MILLION OF THEM CHILDREN AT RISK OF MALNUTRITION, PNEUMONIA and DIARRHOEA

 

 

UPDATE on 21.1.11:

 

NEWS ON 21 JANUARY 2010 IN RELATION TO PAKISTAN

 

Swedish SVT: MORE THAN 4 MILLION HOMELESS PAKISTANI 6 MONTHS AFTER THE GREAT FLOOD ACCORDING TO RED CROSS

 

Families are leaving the temporary camps and returning home only to find out that there is NOTHING to return to. This leads to a new wave of displacement according to Red Cross.

 

The floods in July and August hit 21 million people and destroyed millions of homes and vast areas of agricultural land.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The UN launched an APPEAL for $459m (£300m) in EMERGENCY AID on Wednesday.

 

The UN humanitarian co-ordinator in Pakistan, Martin Mogwanja, says $195m has so far been PLEDGED.

 

 

PAKISTAN NEEDS IMMEDIATE HUMANITARIAN AID for the FLOOD VICTIMS. SO PLEASE HELP, IF POSSIBLE.

 

 

The scope of the disaster and its consequences destroy the capacity of the Pakistani to provide for themselves - also in the long run - according to the United Nations.

 

Pakistan's finances will be negatively affected for years. Crops, roads, bridges have been destroyed. It will take billions to rebuild.

 

Not only the countries we expect to help have been reluctant to do so - also Pakistan's neighbouring countries have been reluctant.

 

13 August 2010: 20 MILLION PEOPLE AFFECTED according to Pakistani authorities (updated from 14 million people affected).

 

A WHO adviser said: "This disaster will set Pakistan back for many years."

 

The United Nations launched an appeal for $460m in EMERGENCY AID.

 

So far the WORLD COMMUNITY has PLEDGED $175 m.

 

 

 

I have received this APPEAL from AVAAZ.org:

 

PAKISTAN FLOODS: STAND WITH THE PEOPLE!

 

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/pakistan_needs_relief/?cl=715081759&v=6993

 

A humanitarian catastrophe of terrifying proportions is unfolding in Pakistan, with A FIFTH OF THE COUNTRY UNDER WATER, and MILLIONS OF PEOPLE HOMELESS and desperately needing assistance.

 

Some relief efforts are underway, but the international response to the mega-disaster has been irresponsibly slow and weak -- the UN has urgently appealed for $460 million of vital aid, but just 60% has been committed.

 

Relief workers warn that without an immediate increase in aid the death toll could sky-rocket. We can help by pressing our governments to step up their efforts.

 

Let's show our leaders what generosity looks like, and demand that they join us.

 

Use the form on https://secure.avaaz.org/en/pakistan_needs_relief/?cl=715081759&v=6993 to send a message to key donor governments -- you can either send the pre-written one, or write your own version.

 

UPDATE: The public outcry is working, with donors now delivering 60% OF the UN's FUNDING REQUEST.

 

But the situation on the ground is worsening and aid efforts still too weak -- let's keep the pressure up!

 

 

20% OF PAKISTAN IS FLOODED

 

A NUMBER OF COUNTRIES INCLUDING the USA, SAUDI-ARABIA and GREAT BRITAIN have DONATED ALMOST $500m TO flood-stricken PAKISTAN according to UN's data bank FTS (Financial Tracking Service)

 

ADDITIONAL $325m has been PLEDGED

 

20 MILLION PEOPLE are AFFECTED BY the FLOOD and the LANDSLIDES

 

4.4 MILLION PEOPLE ARE HOMELESS / WITHOUT SHELTER

 

8.8 MILLION PEOPLE ARE IN URGENT NEED OF AID EFFORTS

 

The floods began last month in Pakistan's north-west after heavy monsoon rains and have since swept south, swamping thousands of towns and villages in PUNJAB and SINDH provinces.

 

About one-fifth of Pakistan's territory is underwater and an estimated 20 MILLION people are AFFECTED.

 

Officials estimate that about 1,600 people have been killed.

 

In the SOUTHERN province of SINDH, hundreds of thousands of people have been left HOMELESS as the INDUS river overflowed, swamping homes and valuable farmland.

 

Tens of thousands of people in southern Pakistan are fleeing a threatened flood-surge, three weeks after heavy monsoon rains first hit the country.

 

In the city of SHAHDADKOT, a hastily built barrier has been breached, allowing floodwaters to approach.

 

An estimated 4 MILLION PEOPLE have now been DISPLACED in the CITY OF SUKKAR alone.

 

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) says DISEASES ARE SPREADING IN AFFECTED AREAS.

 

OVER 200,000 PEOPLE have reported ACUTE DIARRHOEA, with about the same number suffering acute respiratory problems.

 

UN officials are quoted saying that 1.6 MILLION PEOPLE are already AFFECTED BY WATER-BORNE DISEASES such as CHOLERA, DIARRHOEA and DYSENTERY.

 

"In the past one day alone, more than 100,000 people were sick and required different kinds of treatment," a World Health Organization spokesman, Paul Garwood, told the BBC.

 

"I understand most of them were for SKIN INFECTIONS, for DIARRHOEA, for ACUTE RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS and, as well, MALARIA."

 

The International Monetary Fund said Pakistan faced a "massive economic challenge".

 

THOUSANDS OF PAKISTANIS ARE FLEEING THEIR HOMES DUE TO NEW MONSOON FLOODS IN SOUTH

 

Some 200,000 people have been EVACUATED in the THATTA AREA of SINDH province, where dozens of villages are submerged.

 

In the NORTH, workers have begun clearing up as the floods recede.

 

The UN has APPEALED FOR MORE HELICOPTERS to reach 800,000 people who are cut off.

 

FIVE MILLION Pakistanis have NO SHELTER, and urgently need tents or plastic sheeting to protect them from the sun.

 

The UN says more than 17 million people have been affected by the monsoon floods, and about 1.2 million homes have been destroyed.

[nancyk58]

German ARDtext: PAKISTAN: SECOND FLOOD WAVE

 

A SECOND FLOOD WAVE is rolling through the PUNJAB province and could hit the city of MULTAN with 4.5 mio inhabitants.

 

 

German ZDFtext: The UNITED NATIONS warns of of a second deadly wave due to DISEASES AND HUNGER.

 

8 MILLION FLOOD VICTIMS NEED IMMEDIATE AID. OTHER 8 MILLION ARE INDIRECTLY AFFECTED BY THE FLOODS.

 

 

IMMEDIATE AID IS VITAL. Otherwise many people risk dying from diseases and malnutrition.

 

PRODUCTS NEEDED RIGHT NOW IN THE FLOOD ZONE: SHELTERS, CLEAN WATER, FOOD, SANITARY INSTALLATIONS + MEDICAL HELP.

 

Relief workers fear EPIDEMICS due to unclean water.

 

Doctors say that MALARIA, DIARRHOEA and GASTROENTERITIS are growing threats.

 

The region's worst flooding in 80 years has affected 20 million people and killed 1,600, according to the UN.

 

Medics in a relief camp in southern Punjab told the BBC the main challenges they face are GASTROENTERITIS, DIARRHOEA and SKIN INFECTIONS.

 

The UN launched an APPEAL for $459m (£300m) in EMERGENCY AID on Wednesday.

 

The UN humanitarian co-ordinator in Pakistan, Martin Mogwanja, says $195m has so far been PLEDGED.

 

 

THE MONSOON-TRIGGERED FLOODS HAVE AFFECTED ABOUT ONE-FIFTH OF PAKISTAN.

 

An estimated 20 MILLION PEOPLE are AFFECTED. AN ESTIMATED 8 MILLION PEOPLE ARE SAID TO BE IN NEED OF ASSISTANCE.

 

Experts say SHELTER, FOOD and CLEAN WATER are URGENTLY NEEDED to AVERT a HUMANITARIAN CATASTROPHE.

 

 

AID FOR PAKISTAN

 

EU: $179.4m

US: $156.8m

UK: $100m

SAUDI ARABIA: $65.3m plus $40m uncommitted pledges

AUSTRALIA: $31.6m plus $225,000 uncommitted pledges

UN Central Emergency Response Fund: $26.6m

GERMANY: $12.4m plus $20.3m uncommitted pledges

 

Source: UN and media reports / 20.8.10

 

 

"The UN has contributed $460M. The U.S. >$150M. The Saudis contributed a $20M, then up it to $80 when they were called out on it. Kuwait - $5M, Oman - $5M, Iran - $800k, Qatar - $400k, and the Arab Emirates - $0." Figures according to a blogger - Rose McB on Aug 23, 2010.

 

I am not sure about the Arab Emirates only paying $0. Reason: A few days ago I translated an article dated 17 August 2010 according to which Kuwait, The United Arab Emirates and Turkey had paid 3.5% of the 212 mio dollar pledged to Pakistan until 17.8. So The United Arab Emirates have contributed to PAKISTAN.

 

The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) revealed its Pakistan Floods Appeal has now raised £35m.

[nancyk58]

PLEASE HELP PAKISTAN'S FLOOD VICTIMS.

 

YOU CAN SEE HOW IN THE FIRST POST IN THIS THREAD NOW UPDATED WITH LINKS TO:

 

UNICEF

 

AMERICAN RED CROSS

 

DISASTERS EMERGENCY COMMITTEE, DEC

 

OXFAM

 

AVAAZ.ORG

 

Daily articles from BBC World Service and text-tv in Denmark, Sweden and Germany are posted on the humanitarian thread: NEWS IN RELATION TO NATURAL DISASTERS.

 

Notes / articles from UNICEF + Red Cross are posted on the humanitarian thread called: HELP RED CROSS AND UNICEF HELP VICTIMS OF NATURAL DISASTERS

[nancyk58]

http://www.care2.com/causes/human-rights/blog/why-is-pakisan-being-left-behind/

 

Why is Pakistan Being Left Behind?posted by: Natasha G.

 

20 MILLION PEOPLE have been AFFECTED BY the FLOODING in PAKISTAN,

 

and in the last couple of days alone, hundreds of thousands more have fled their homes in search of safety.

 

MILLIONS are AT RISK for WATER-BORNE DISEASES such as CHOLERA,

 

and already 200,000 suffer from ACUTE RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS.

 

At least 1,600 people have died so far.

 

Yet funds for the U.N. and relief organizations have been coming in slowly. Why hasn't this disaster, called "the largest...humanitarian crisis we've seen in decades" by UNICEF's Louis-George Arsenault, generated the same sort of media coverage, charity relief donations and overall empathy present with the EARTHQUAKE IN HAITI or TSUNAMI IN ASIA?

 

While there certainly can be DONOR FATIGUE FROM HAITI,

 

another possible reason is that the DOMINANT IMAGE OF PAKISTAN IN the mainstream MEDIA is one of terrorism, extremism and nuclear arms.

 

But these images aren't suffering from the floods -- civilians are. There are farmers who have lost their means of survival. There are mothers who have nothing to feed their children. There are families who have been separated, and entire communities disbanded. And the elderly or disabled are left even further behind.

 

An editorial in The GUARDIAN gives a salient point why aid is so necessary. Without it, the country could fall deeper into instability.

 

After a catastrophe, people are left not only WITHOUT FOOD AND SHELTER, but WITHOUT FUEL, TOOLS, LIVESTOCK, SEEDS, and perhaps even TOPSOIL. They may also have LOST ROADS, BRIDGES, CLINICS, SCHOOLS, WATER and POWER – as well as FAMILY.

 

People who had survived on $2 a day now face weeks with NO INCOME as they cannot grow or sell anything. With floodwaters come possibly LETHAL DISEASES; and, of course, FLOODS and WINDSTORMS will return.

 

The cycle of disaster may be the ultimate poverty trap. Those who before had little will now have nothing; perhaps not even hope.

 

So far relief camps can accommodate only 10 percent of those left homeless.

 

The Pakistani people need your help. Governments have a bad reputation of handling funds, but

 

YOU can still make a difference by contributing to a WELL-RESPECTED CHARITY WITH EXPERIENCE IN DISASTER RELIEF. Charity Navigator is an excellent source to determine an organization's credibility.

 

Here are a few organizations actively working to help the survivors of Pakistan's floods:

 

Action Against Hunger

 

American Red Cross:

https://american.redcross.org/site/Donation2?idb=610850544&df_id=4932&4932.donation=form1

 

AmeriCares

 

Care:

https://my.care.org/site/Donation2?idb=570897941&df_id=7780&7780.donation=form1

 

Catholic Relief Services

 

Christian Blind Mission

 

Concern Worldwide US

 

Doctors Without Borders / Médecins Sans Frontières:

https://donate.doctorswithoutborders.org/SSLPage.aspx?pid=214&hbc=1&__utma=121179421.141340652021724900.1282539560.1282539560.1282539560.1&__utmb=121179421.2.10.1282539560&__utmc=121179421&__utmx=-&__utmz=121179421.1282539560.1.1.utmcsr=google|utmccn=%28organic%29|utmcmd=organic|utmctr=Doctors%20Without%20Borders&__utmv=-&__utmk=37345952

 

International Medical Corps

 

International Rescue Committee

 

Islamic Relief USA

 

Mercy Corps

 

Oxfam International:

http://www.oxfam.org/en/emergencies/pakistan-floods-2010

 

Save the children:

https://secure.savethechildren.org/01/web_e_pakistan_flood_10?source=hp_fb_pak10&WT.mc_id=0810_hp_fb_pak10

 

SOS Children's Villages:

http://www.sos-childrensvillages.org/Get-involved/Online-donation/Pages/default.aspx

 

UNICEF USA:

https://secure.unicefusa.org/site/Donation2?idb=1060274875&df_id=1621&1621.donation=form1

 

UN Central Emergency Response Fund:

http://www.unfoundation.org/donate/cerf.html

(UN Central Emergency Response Fund)

 

UN Refugee Agency:

http://www.unhcr.org/emergency/pakistanfloods/global_landing.html

(UN Refugee Agency)

 

World Food Program USA:

https://usa.wfp.org/donate

 

World Vision:

http://donate.worldvision.org/OA_HTML/xxwv2ibeCCtpItmDspRte.jsp?funnel=dn&item=1328100&go=item&section=10339&

 

Not all links are active, because when copying the article with links, well the links were not active anymore. Went into the websites of the major organizations to get a new link.

[nancyk58]

LATEST ON SITUATION IN PAKISTAN 24.8.10

 

INCREASING NEED

 

 

Doctors in some flood-hit regions are overwhelmed by health problems including SKIN RASHES, DEHYDRATION and DIARRHOEA, says our correspondent.

 

The flooding has already KILLED NEARLY 1,600 PEOPLE, but millions are considered to be at risk from water-borne diseases.

 

UN officials have described the humanitarian situation in Pakistan as critical:/COLOR]

 

 

1,539 people have died and 17 million have been directly affected

 

1.2 million houses have been destroyed, leaving an estimated 8 million homeless

 

3.2m hectares of standing crops have been lost or damaged

 

2,055 people have been injured

 

1.6 million have received food aid

 

2 million people have received drinking water but "large numbers" have no access

to water or sanitation

 

 

Reports on increasing migration towards SINDH province from other affected areas

 

The UN has raised 70% of the $460m (£295m) needed for emergency relief, and in the UK, relief agencies say public donors have now given £29m ($45m).

 

 

THE TOTAL AREA AFFECTED BY THE FLOODS IN PAKISTAN CORRESPONDS TO THE AREA OF ALL OF SWEDEN

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-11105661 / 27 August 2010:

 

UN: SOUTH PAKISTAN FLOODS DISPLACE A MILLION PEOPLE IN 48 HOURS

 

In SINDH province, 70% of the 300,000 residents of the town of THATTA have been forced to flee to safer areas after the INDUS river burst its banks.

 

Further NORTH, floodwaters are starting to recede.

 

Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira said LOW-LYING AREAS of SINDH province would remain under water for the next two weeks or more. Out of its 23 districts, 19 have so far been badly affected by the floods.

 

The MONSOON FLOODS started in the mountainous NORTH and have steadily SURGED SOUTH, destroying 1.2m homes and damaging 3.2m hectares (7.9m acres) of farmland - about 14% of Pakistan's land under cultivation.

 

The Pakistani government has so far confirmed that 1,600 people have been KILLED.

 

Officials: MILLIONS are AT RISK from DISEASE and SHORTAGES OF FOOD AND WATER. The death toll may also rise as floodwaters recede.

 

About $325m of the $459m sought by the UN in a flash appeal had been either contributed or pledged by foreign donors, while an additional $600m has been provided or promised outside the appeal, the UN's emergency relief co-ordinator, John Holmes said on Thursday.

 

"We're approaching $1 billion with funds offered or already contributed inside and outside the appeal for this crisis."

 

The INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND, which has a $11 BN LOAN PROGRAMME with PAKISTAN, said the group was "looking at all options" to help.

 

In SOUTHERN PAKISTAN the water masses in the SWOLLEN INDUS RIVER have BREACHED MORE DAMS FORCING HUNDRED THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE TO FLEE. A total of 2.3 MILLION PEOPLE in the neighbourhood of THATTA are WITHOUT SHELTER, said the person in charge of the relief efforts in the SINDH province.

 

On Friday, practically all 300,000 INHABITANTS of the city of THATTA were EVACUATED, because a nearby DAM WAS BREACHED, and the water was streaming through a 20 m wide BREACH / GAP.

 

29 AUGUST 2010

 

BBC: PAKISTAN TOWN SUBMERGED AMID FIGHT TO REBUILD LEVEES

 

SUJAWAL, a town of some 250,000 people, has been SUBMERGED while people battle to SAVE the nearby city of THATTA, reports say.

 

CITY OF THATTA IN PAKISTAN SAVED

The town of Thatta, downstream from the Kotri barrage, was hastily evacuated as the swollen Indus breached an embankment.

 

A major inundation was avoided thanks to the hasty rebuilding of levees around the town, said Mr Baksh, and people were beginning to return to their homes.

 

But on the other side of the river, the town of Sujawal was submerged.

Almost the entire population managed to evacuate the town, however.

 

FUTURE HUNGER

 

The international aid agency OXFAM says Pakistan will face DEVASTATING PROBLEMS in the future, unless flood reconstruction efforts begin immediately.

 

A month after the floods began, the effort is still focused on the first stage of relief, RESCUING and EVACUATING people.

 

The massive floods have left some 8M PEOPLE IN NEED of EMERGENCY RELIEF.

 

The lack of proper sanitation and cramped living conditions mean disease could spread quickly,

 

Four weeks since the flooding began, the scale of this HUMANITARIAN CRISIS is still GROWING. And on the ground, the amount of aid available is a long way from meeting the need, our correspondent says.

 

Across the country, some 17 MILLION PEOPLE of Pakistan's 166 million people have been affected by the disaster.

 

ONE MONTH after the beginning of the DEVASTATING FLOODS in PAKISTAN, the water masses are slowly receding. No rain is forecast for the coming days. But the survivors are still threatened by HUNGER and WATER-BORNE DISEASES SUCH AS DIARRHOEA and CHOLERA. According to UN estimates, there is an ACUTE THREAT TO THE LIVES OF 72,000 CHILDREN. About 72,000 children were already affected by severe malnutrition, UN officials said.

 

The floods caused by the unusually heavy monsoon rain in July have so far cost at least 1,643 human lives. About 6 MILLION are DISPLACED.

 

In total, about 17 million of Pakistan's 166 million people have been affected by the disaster.

 

FLOODWATERS IN SOUTH PAKISTAN 'BEGIN TO RECEDE'

Emergency officials in Pakistan say water levels in flood-stricken southern Pakistan are beginning to recede. 30.8

 

Muslim nations have donated nearly $1bn (£640m) to help Pakistan, said Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, the head of the Organization of the Islamic Conference.

 

Other nations have also pledged hundreds of millions of dollars, but officials say it will take many billions for Pakistan to recover from the disaster.

 

2/9: The international Red Cross has appealed for an EXTRA $76m (£49m) FOR PAKISTAN, warning that only a fraction of needs are being met.

 

The head of ICRC in South Asia, Jacques de Maio, said the recent floods in Pakistan had created a catastrophe of staggering proportions.

 

The ICRC is providing aid to 350,000 people, but more than 1.4m people in the worst-affected regions need help.

 

OCHA, UN's Office for the Coordination of Human Affairs states that at least 8 million need help.

 

The International Monetary Fund and the World Bank today offered new emergency loans of $1.45 billion.

 

The disastrous floods have so far COST 1.760 HUMAN LIVES and affected 18 MILLION people within an area corresponding to the size of ENGLAND.

 

8 million people are dependent on emergency aid if they are to survive. The UN only received 2/3 of the aid that is needed, i.e $460 million according to UN estimates.

 

 

3.9.10: FLOOD: IMF WILL HELP PAKISTAN WITH $450M

The director of the International Monetary Fund, IMF, Dominique Strauss-Kahn says that PAKISTAN needs the money to rebuild the destroyed infrastructure.

 

In November 2008 it was agreed upon that Pakistan should have $7.3 billion. The money will be granted additionally.

 

The flood has damaged or destroyed more than 1 million houses. Pakistan’s government estimates that the reconstruction will cost around $15 billion.

 

15.9.10: IMF APPROVED AN EXPECTED $451 MILLION or almost 350 MILLION EURO IN EMERGENCY FUNDING to help the country rebuild and overcome the flood disaster. That amount is separate from a $11 billion IMF-backed economic program agreed in 2008.

 

About 10 million flood victims are in URGENT NEED of food and shelter. Aid agencies warn that water-borne diseases and hunger could kill many more.

 

 

 

 

 

 

5 details about the PAKISTAN FLOOD situation:

 

1. The United Nations has rated the floods in Pakistan as the greatest humanitarian crisis in recent history. Already, more people have been affected in Pakistan than the 2004 South-East Asian tsunami and the recent earthquakes in Kasmir and Haiti combined.

 

2. The Pakistan flood may be linked to the fires in Russia. Although the unfolding disasters seem far apart, they are actually being driven by the same meta weather system, according to a report from National Geographic. Kevin Trenberth, a senior scientist at the Boulder, Colorado-based National Center for Atmospheric Research, told the organization, "That's because the monsoon – a seasonal wind system that brings rain and floods to Pakistan and much of the rest of Asia in summer – also drives the circulation of air as far away as Europe."

 

3. Only a fraction of the people needing aid have been contacted by emergency crews. In the 10 days following the initial flood waves, the government managed to distribute only 10,000 packs food packs, containing mostly a box of dried milk, and a few bottles of water and Pepsi. These packages were meant to "feed" 80,000 people, leaving 1,720,000 without any type of aid.

 

4. The Pakistan flood may be linked to global warming. In an unprecedented move, the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) has come forward to formally blamed the flooding in Pakistan on "global warming," angering some denialists (CNSNews.com). "Indeed, the Islamic world is paying a heavy price resulting from the negative repercussions of climate change," said OIC Secretary-General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu at an emergency meeting in Saudi Arabia.

 

5. The destruction is enormous, and preys on the weak. Reports indicate 62,000 square miles of land have been affected -- about one-fifth of the entire country. Of the 15 million people seriously affected, about 50 percent are children.

 

 

LINKS TO DONATE IN POSTS 1 AND 4 IN THIS THREAD.

[nancyk58]

URGENT Petition in relation to PAKISTAN

 

URGENT petition in relation to PAKISTAN

 

Pakistan: debt vs. lives‏

 

 

Dear Friends,

 

As Pakistan struggles to rescue families from flood waters and fend off disease and starvation before winter sets in, it is scrambling to pay out a shocking 30% of its annual budget revenues to foreign creditors on debt incurred by previous dictatorships.

 

If Pakistan is obliged to make these debt payments, rescue efforts for tens of millions of people whose lives have been devastated could be crippled. Earlier this year, we persuaded creditor governments to drop Haiti's debt after it was devastated by an earthquake -- and now we could do the same for Pakistan.

 

Right now international financial institutions and donor countries are assessing how to assist Pakistan. Let's come together and call for life-saving debt relief for the people of Pakistan.

 

Sign the petition below to stop these stifling debt payments and let Pakistan rebuild, and it will be delivered directly to ministers and senior officials attending the Annual Meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

 

http://www.avaaz.org/en/pakistan_cancel_the_debt/?vl

 

Pakistan's staggering $55 billion debt burden comes from decades of reckless spending by its autocratic ruling elites, matched by irresponsible lending on the part of Western creditors and banks.

 

But 60% of Pakistanis still live below the poverty line. It is a tragic irony that these tens of millions of Pakistanis whose lives have been destroyed in these floods and who have received little or no benefit from these massive loans, are the ones now footing the bill of such unjust debt.

 

In the aftermath of Haiti's earthquake, Hurricane Mitch in Central America, and the Asian tsunami, the world responded by suspending and cancelling debt payments from affected countries.

 

Pakistan's debt is too vast to cancel in one swoop, but a two year moratorium with accountability mechanisms to ensure that the released funds are spent on relief is a first step and now is the moment to push for it.

 

Together we have donated a stunning $1 million which is already making a difference to desperate Pakistani flood victims. But if we win this debt campaign, we can make billions available for relief and reconstruction. Let's make sure the international community does the right thing. Sign the urgent petition below and share this message with all your friends and family:

 

http://www.avaaz.org/en/pakistan_cancel_the_debt/?vl

 

With hope and solidarity,

 

Luis, Iain, Paula, Ricken, Alice, Pascal and the entire Avaaz team

 

PS - Over the last 2 weeks, thousands of us have contributed US$1 million for relief and recovery from the Pakistan floods, which has been sent to support the Sungi Development Foundation, Hirrak Development Centre (HDC), Participatory Welfare Services (PWS) and other outstanding local organisations provide life-saving food, water, shelter and medical care across the country.

 

Sources:

 

Race against winter in Pakistan's north-west:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-11128880

 

 

Reuters, IMF talks: all options being explored to help Pakistan:

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN26195747._CH_.2400

 

 

"Fuelling Injustice: Debt and Muslim countries", Report by Jubilee Debt Campaign and Islamic Relief UK:

http://www.jubileedebtcampaign.org.uk/?lid=6302&bid=13

 

 

Jubilee USA Network Calls for Immediate Debt Service Moratorium in Response to Disaster, Assistance in Grant Form:

http://www.jubileeusa.org/press/press-item/article/new-debt-for-disaster-for-pakistan.html?tx_ttnews[backPid]=170&cHash=02e62f133f

 

 

EURODAD, "Pakistan needs debt cancellation, not new IMF loans":

http://www.eurodad.org/whatsnew/articles.aspx?id=4220

 

 

Whilst tens of millions struggle to survive the flood devastation, 30% of Pakistan's budget revenue will be sent abroad to foreign creditors for massive loans made to dictators years ago. Sign the petition to stop Pakistan's crippling debt

 

SIGN THE PETITION - go to: http://www.avaaz.org/en/pakistan_cancel_the_debt/?cl=724339631&v=7058

 

Petition to the IMF and all Pakistan's creditors:

 

In the wake of Pakistan's devastating floods, we call on you to immediately declare a two year moratorium with no interest on all of Pakistan's debt payments, as a first step to fully cancelling its unjust debt. We also urge you to ensure aid is given in the form of grants not loans.

[nancyk58]

Help freeze PAKISTAN's DEBTS - please sign ONE petition

 

Subject: Help Freeze PAKISTAN’s debt - ONE petition

 

 

Hi,

 

You will have seen the heartbreaking images of the floods in PAKISTAN, with tens of millions of people affected.

 

The sheer scale of the disaster is staggering and Pakistan will need all its available resources to help it recover from this devastating crisis and to fight long-term poverty. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) – the institution that oversees debt repayments - can play a key role in this.

 

I just signed a petition asking the IMF to freeze Pakistan’s national debt for two years so they have more money available to help long term rebuilding after the crippling disaster.

 

Please join me by taking action here:

 

http://one.org/international/actnow/pakistanfloods/index.html?rc=pakistanfloodsconfemail

 

Together as ONE we can make a difference!

 

Thanks!

 

Nancyk58

 

 

http://www.one.org/international/actnow/pakistanfloods/o.pl?id=1896-4671266-kiU3Ekx&t=3

 

http://www.one.org/international/actnow/pakistanfloods/

[nancyk58]

News in relation to Pakistan from BBC World News on 6.9.10

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-11201618 / 6 september 2010 Last updated at 12:04 GMT

 

LATEST PAKISTAN FLOODS PROMPT FRESH EXODUS FROM TOWNS

 

Several hundred thousand more people have fled towns and villages threatened by FRESH FLOODING IN PAKISTAN's SOUTHERN PROVINCE of SINDH.

 

Water is gushing towards DADU DISTRICT because of a BREACH IN the TOORI DAM at UPPER SINDH.

 

In the past weeks ALL BUT FOUR of Sindh's 23 DISTRICTS have been DELUGED.

 

Aid agencies say more than EIGHT MILLION PEOPLE who have left their homes NEED FOOD and WATER.

 

Most of the floodwaters are pouring down from the Toori dam, which was washed away in August.

 

The breach has caused the waters of the River INDUS to split in two.

 

One side is continuing to flow to the ARABIAN SEA, while the other is going parallel to the Indus's natural course, wreaking a path of destruction.

 

This rogue flow of water has now reached DADU DISTRICT, and is pouring into MANCHAR, the country's LARGEST FRESHWATER LAKE.

 

It has swollen to the extent that it is now threatening to inundate those parts of the province which have so far escaped the disaster.

 

Residents, who had begun hoping the flood threat was now receding, are now fleeing their homes, with at least 350,000 on the move.

 

If LAKE MANCHAR OVERFLOWS, the waters could CUT OFF ACCESS TO the INDUS HIGHWAY, the area's MAIN CONNECTION TO the REST OF the COUNTRY.

 

Army engineers are trying to prevent this happening by PLUGGING THE BREACH AT THE TOORI DAM.

 

Their job has been severely hampered by FRESH RAINS IN NORTHERN PAKISTAN, which have given a new lease of LIFE TO THE FLOODING.

 

More than 1,600 people have died and about 17 MILLION of Pakistan's 166 million people have been AFFECTED by the disaster.

 

 

From other news sites:

 

Telegraph: Call for probe into diversion of Pakistan floodwater from air base

 

Sydney Morning Herald: Pakistan races to save towns from floods

 

Sky News: Pakistanis Flee As Floods Swamp More Towns

 

Guardian.co.uk: Behind the photograph: the human face of Pakistan's deadly flood

 

France24: Floodwaters sweep towards another Pakistani town

 

 

If you would like to make a donation to help people affected by the floods in Pakistan, you can do so through the UK's Disasters Emergency Committee at http://www.dec.org.uk or by telephone on 0370 60 60 900

 

Or go to post 1 or 4 in the humanitarian thread: "HELP PAKISTAN and Kashmir AFTER DEVASTATING, MASSIVE FLOODS

 

Link here: http://www.coldplaying.com/forum/newreply.php?do=newreply&noquote=1&p=4417988

[nancyk58]

News incl. interview with Secretary-General of Danish Red Cross after Pakistan visit - dated 6.9.10

 

Note from Danish free paper Urban on 6.9.10 citing dr.dk (DR = Danish Radio (& Television):

 

ONE MILLION PAKISTANI HAVE NOT RECEIVED AID

 

The Pakistani government admits that one million victims of the massive floods last months have received NO AID.

 

The government is under hard pressure from Taleban and Islamic aid organizations who have been better at helping the victims.

 

Red Cross has experienced two cases of aid being prevented from reaching the victims because the vehicles were surrounded.

 

 

Danish newspaper BT ([email protected]) on Monday, 6 September 2010:

 

NOW THEY ARE RUNNING OUT OF FOOD

 

DESPERATION / DESPAIR:

 

NEEDY & DISTRESSED PAKISTANI VICTIMS OF HUNGER AND DISEASES

 

By Birger A. Andersen

 

A nightmare. Secretary-general Anders Ladekarl from Danish Red Cross does not hesitate when asked to characterize the extent of the flood disaster in Pakistan.

 

"I do not like to compare disasters, because it is impossible. The TSUNAMI KILLED 350,000 PEOPLE, and the EARTHQUAKE in HAITI KILLED almost 200,000 PEOPLE and DESTROYED A CITY.

 

But geographically and in terms of numbers of people affected, the PAKISTANI FLOOD DISASTER is probably THE WORST we have ever experienced.

 

It makes it a nightmare in terms of our relief efforts, because the disaster affects so many people in such a huge area where it is difficult to reach the victims. Even though the water has started to recede in some areas, the infrastructure is all gone," the secretary-general of Danish Red Cross adds.

 

DISEASES AND HUNGER

 

With almost 17 MILLION AFFECTED PAKISTANI, of which many have no access to clean drinking water, health is one of the big problems / issues in the nearest future. HUNGER and WATER-BORNE DISEASES such as CHOLERA and DIARRHOEA threaten to cost many, many human lives.

 

"We experience a rapidly increasing challenge in the health area. The number of cases of diarrhoea has exploded in the last couple of days, because people do not have access to clean drinking water, and they are staying in areas unfit to house so many people.

 

Sanitation & hygiene has deteriorated much / is poor, and even though some areas might have running water or water in the wells - that water is by far not clean, Anders Ladekarl stresses.

 

"The other big challenge is FOOD. People have run out of food. What they might have taken with them when fleeing the water masses, that is gone now. When we distribute food, people have become even aggressiver, because they are fighting to get some of the food distributed", he continues.

 

MONSOON RAIN

 

It is estimated that 8 MILLION PEOPLE from the flooded areas need AID URGENTLY - in particular FOOD and MEDICINE. During the last month, the heavy monsoon rain has flooded more than 1.2 million houses and submerged / flooded an area of the same size as Great Britain.

 

"In the beginning we hesitated to launch a collection in favour of Pakistan because the attention in Denmark was rather limited - we did not expect much money to be donated. But we are pleased that we were proven wrong.

 

In the last few days we have reached DKK 10 MILLION - donated by Danes. That is a high amount for a flood," says the secretary-general.

 

DANES GREATEST DONORS

 

The Danish state has donated DKK 130 MILLION in AID TO PAKISTAN. On a list of countries donating the highest amount to Pakistan, DENMARK IS NUMBER 6 according to the United Nations - but DENMARK is THE LARGEST DONOR / CONTRIBUTOR in relation to the number of INHABITANTS./COLOR]

[email protected]

 

 

UP TO 20 MILLION PAKISTANI ARE AFFECTED BY THE FLOODS

 

MORE THAN 2 MILLION PAKISTANI HAVE LOST THEIR HOMES

 

 

MANY HAVE LOST EVERYTHING

In many cases the victims of the massive floods in Pakistan have lost everything.

 

So far less than 2,000 PAKISTANI DIED, but a far greater death toll is likely when the SEQUELA set in due to the inhuman conditions with lack of clean drinking water and food as well as due to poor sanitary conditions.

 

 

THE DANGERS:

 

HUNGER. It is estimated that 8 MILLION PAKISTANI NEED AID URGENTLY - in particular FOOD AND MEDICINE

 

DIARRHOEA. A direct consequence of the lack of clean drinking water. In particular mothers and young girls are vulnerable, because they look after the younger children who are having diarrhoea.

 

CHOLERA. May spread rapidly. There is a particularly high risk of spreading in the flooded areas in Pakistan, because the disease-carrying bacterium (vibrio cholerae) is already widespread in Pakistan.

 

Dysentery. Serious diarrhoea.

 

Wells disease. The bacterium may be spread by urine from infected rats, mouse or other animals.

 

EYE and SKIN INFECTIONS. I.a. the infectious / contagious scabies, i.e. kind of skin disease causing itching.

 

End of BT articles / facts about PAKISTANI FLOOD

 

 

Danish TV2 News: PAKISTAN THREATENED BY NEW FLOODS

 

Aid workers are working hard to rescue 360,000 people out of 2 cities that are threatened by new massive floods in the southern part of Pakistan. 2.8 MILLION PAKISTANI are already EVACUATED due to the enormous water masses which have led to deaths and destruction during the past over 5 weeks.

 

"The situation in the cities of Dafu and Johi is serious. Enormous water masses are only 20 km away from the cities, and we cannot keep the massive floods out", says the minister of the interior of the province, Jam Saifullah Djarejo.

 

 

German ZDFtext + Danish TV2 News on 7.9.10: 10 MILLION HOMELESS DUE TO FLOOD

 

More than 10 MILLION PAKISTANI have lost their homes during the 6 WEEKS OF MASSIVE FLOODS IN PAKISTAN. They are still homeless, says UN in a new report.

 

"It is one of the worst humanitarian disasters in UN history", says Maurizio Giuliano - spokesman for the United Nations in Pakistan.

 

The latest floods in the southern SINDH province have increased the number of homeless in Pakistan.

 

 

If you would like to make a donation to help people affected by the floods in Pakistan, you can do so through the UK's Disasters Emergency Committee at http://www.dec.org.uk or by telephone on 0370 60 60 900

 

Or go to post 1 or 4 in the humanitarian thread: "HELP PAKISTAN and Kashmir AFTER DEVASTATING, MASSIVE FLOODS

 

Link here: http://www.coldplaying.com/forum/newreply.php?do=newreply&noquote=1&p=4417988

[nancyk58]

News in relation to PAKISTAN on 12 or 13 September 2010

 

News in relation to PAKISTAN on 12 or 13 September 2010

 

Hundreds of thousands of people continue to flee their towns as Pakistan's floods ravage on. One fifth of the country is under water, and over 1,750 have died.

 

 

http://www.care2.com/causes/human-rights/blog/pakistan-s-floods-leave-families-hungry-and-destitute/

 

PAKISTAN's FLOODS LEAVE FAMILIES HUNGRY AND DESTITUTE

 

COMMENT by Rubin, SOS Children's Villages :

 

Without food and homes, hundreds of thousands of Pakistani families are living on the brink following this summer's tragic floods.

 

Billions of dollars in damage to Pakistan's farmland and infrastructure have forced food prices beyond the reach of people in need.

 

The result, according to IRIN news service, is that many families are going days without a meal.

 

Aid organizations large and small such as the World Food Program (WFP) and SOS Children's Villages are coordinating with local partners to distribute food rations. But need far exceeds supply.

 

"We are very concerned about the nutritional situation. About 2.8 million people have been reached, but there are others in need. Camps are crowded and people are sleeping on the sides of the roads," World Food Program spokesperson Frances Kennedy told IRIN.

 

WFP is rushing dry rations to different points across the affected regions.

 

SOS Children's Villages has so far distributed 1,000 food packages to families in the provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and south Punjab.

 

Each package contains flour, lentils, rice, cooking oil, sugar, tea, milk powder, salt, soap, candles, and matches. Many more packages will get to families as more funding becomes available.

[Ambergris]

nobody here really cares about Pakistán. :shame:

and I just remember that I have not helped in any way...

[nancyk58]

nobody here really cares about Pakistán. :shame:

and I just remember that I have not helped in any way...

 

 

Hello FAUST, Remember that it's NOT TOO LATE to donate to Pakistan, as the bad situation continues: Vast areas are flooded, and THE FLOODS SPREAD IN THE SOUTH - news from CNN today who had a man travelling with an aid agency by helicopter in the flooded area).

 

LINKS to Aid Agencies where you can donate to Pakistan in post 1 and 4.

 

You can i.a. donate via OXFAM - the organization Coldplay supports:

 

http://www.oxfam.org/

[nancyk58]

The daily news media such as text-TV and BBC World News do not write much about PAKISTAN these days, but

 

the situation has not improved:

 

VAST AREAS ARE FLOODED - THE FLOOD SPREAD IN THE SOUTH.

 

The DEATH TOLL SINCE the BEGINNING of AUGUST IS 1,760, and 10 MILLION PAKISTANI are HOMELESS.

 

CNN had a man travelling with an aid helicopter: He saw

 

LOTS OF TENT CITIES 6 WEEKS INTO THE DISASTER.

 

20 MILLION PEOPLE ARE AFFECTED - 10 MILLION ARE HOMELESS.

 

 

The FLOODS, triggered by heavy monsoon rain in late July,

 

KILLED more than 1,750 people,

 

forced at least 10 million people from their homes - and

 

caused up to $43 BILLION in DAMAGE.

[nancyk58]

NEWS ON 17 SEPTEMBER 2010

 

UN LAUNCHES $2BN APPEAL FOR PAKISTAN FLOOD VICTIMS

 

 

The UN has launched an appeal for more than $2bn (£1.3bn) to HELP PAKISTANI FLOOD VICTIMS, its largest ever response to a natural disaster.

 

The widespread flooding has AFFECTED some 20 MILLION PEOPLE in an area larger than England.

 

UN officials said the amount of money requested reflected "the ENORMOUS HUMAN and GEOGRAPHIC SCALE" of the disaster.

 

The funds, which include $500m already raised, will be used to help up to 14 million people over a period of a year.

 

The cash will fund projects carried out by 15 UN bodies and more than 100 aid agencies.

 

UN humanitarian chief Valerie Amos said countries around the world had been "extremely generous" and that the government and people of Pakistan had "already done much to help families affected by these floods".

 

But she said Pakistan was "seeing the equivalent of a new disaster every few days" as rivers continued to burst their banks in some areas.

 

"We simply cannot stand by and watch the immense suffering in a disaster of this scale," she said.

 

"Our task is to give people the help they need."

 

SLOW START

 

Nearly $500m was raised in the previous UN appeal, set up in the aftermath of the flooding, so the actual amount still to be raised is $1.6bn.

 

Millions of people have lost everything, there is immense damage to infrastructure, and Pakistan's development prospects may be disrupted for years.

 

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says hundreds of thousands of people lost shops and small businesses and that farmers who are unable to plant crops in the next planting season could be dependent on aid until well into 2012.

 

Health officials have also warned of a looming HEALTH CRISIS as a result of WATERBORNE DISEASES and POOR LIVING CONDITIONS among displaced people.

 

Aid has been coming in, but it got off to a slow start and has been hard to maintain, partly because the crisis has gone on for so long, say the BBC's Barbara Plett at the UN.

 

Officials say they need to work harder to keep Pakistan's pressing needs on the international agenda.

 

The extensive damage is a daunting challenge for the country's WEAK GOVERNMENT and FRAGILE ECONOMY, our correspondent adds.

 

But the US envoy to Pakistan, Richard Holbrooke, has stressed that the authorities will have to generate more revenue, saying aid alone will not be able to rebuild the country.

[nancyk58]

U.S. RESPONSE TO PAKISTAN's FLOODING DISASTER

 

http://islamabad.usembassy.gov/pr-10091601.html

 

Press Releases 2010

 

FACT SHEET

 

 

U.S. RESPONSE TO PAKISTAN's FLOODING DISASTER

 

September 15, 2010

 

The United States has responded IMMEDIATELY and GENEROUSLY to Pakistan's call for assistance following the tragic and devastating floods that began July 29.

 

The United States Government is now providing APPROXIMATELY $268 MILLION to assist with RELIEF and RECOVERY efforts, which does not include considerable in-kind and technical assistance specifically to address the impact of these floods.

 

This includes approximately $218 million to support IMMEDIATE RELIEF EFFORTS in Pakistan, through many local and international organizations, the Pakistan National Disaster Management Authority, and the UN's emergency response plan.

 

An additional $50 million has also been allocated for INITIAL RECOVERY EFFORTS to assist with REBUILDING communities impacted by the floods.

 

The U.S. also has provided civilian and military in-kind assistance in the form of halal meals, PRE-FABRICATED STEEL BRIDGES and other INFRASTRUCTURE SUPPORT, as well as AIR SUPPORT to and within Pakistan to transport goods and rescue people at an approximate value of $47 million.

 

* These aircraft have evacuated more than 13,000 people and delivered 5.4 million pounds of relief supplies. We are also expanding pre-existing programs in flood-affected areas.

 

American business and private citizens are also making generous contributions to assist the people of Pakistan.

 

 

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:

 

The United States has committed $21 million to provide seed and fertilizer to flood-affected farmers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The money will help ensure there's a viable crop of rabi wheat this winter and prevent future food insecurity. $16 million of the funds for the program will be provided by the Kerry-Lugar-Berman Enhanced Partnership with Pakistan Act. An additional $5 million will come from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The program will be implemented by the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and will provide wheat seed, vegetable seed and fertilizer packages to help approximately 1.7 million people in 12 districts, particularly female-headed households, female farmers, and households with children under five years old.

 

The United States announced today that it is providing $5 MILLION to FIGHT MALARIA in flood-affected regions of Pakistan. The U.S., in partnership with Pakistan's Ministry of Health, is providing the money to the U.N. World Health Organization (WHO) for use in its anti-malaria programs. The funds will be used to preposition rapid testing kits and anti-malarial medications. It will also go towards educational programs designed to teach at-risk communities the early warning signs of a malaria outbreak.

 

On September 13 and 14, the U.S. Air force transported 55,600 pounds of assistance from Sukkur to Jacobabad and 40,000 pounds of WFP humanitarian assistance from Sukkur to Jacobabad as well as 70,000 pounds of humanitarian relief supplies from Sialkot to Quetta and Chaklala to Skardu. The U.S. Marine Corps transported 14,190 pounds of supplies from Chaklala to Gilgit and 29,700 pounds of supplies to areas west of Sukkur. The U.S. Army delivered 64,152 pounds of supplies to the Upper Swat Valley and Kohistan and evacuated 58 internally displaced persons.

 

 

SELECTED U.S. CONTRIBUTIONS TO DATE:

 

In total, the U.S. has provided 13 mobile water treatment units that each produce enough clean water for 60,000 people a day; twelve 20,000-liter water bladders for the storage of clean water; 170,900 10-liter water containers; 15 million water purification tablets (sufficient to chlorinate 150 million liters of water); 58 Zodiac inflatable rescue boats; 96 concrete saws and saw blades; 236,980 blankets; and 6,663 rolls of plastic sheeting for the construction of temporary shelters. These relief supplies brought in from USAID warehouses in Dubai, Italy, and the United States are in addition to the supplies purchased locally by partners that are providing to those in need.

 

From September 1-13, WFP and partners reached approximately 1.2 million people with nearly 15,800 metric tons of food. Since August 1, WFP and partners have reached nearly 3 million people in 50 districts in 6 provinces with nearly 50,000 metric tons of food. The U.S. has provided $51.5 million in food assistance to date.

 

By September 14, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which the United States is supporting through the State Department, had assisted more than 928,000 flood-affected people across Pakistan.

 

 

PRIVATE SECTOR RESPONSE:

 

To date, the private sector has donated approximately $10.5 million in contributions to flood relief efforts. Private sector entities that have contributed include: 3M, Abbott, Agility Logistics, Al-Bario Engineering, Alcatel-Lucent Foundation, Amgen, AT&T, Bank of America, BASF, Bayer, Becton Dickinson, BHP Billiton Petroleum, BMO Financial Group, BMW Group, Boeing, BP, Cargill, Caterpillar, Chevron, Cisco, Citi, Coca-Cola, Cummins, Inc, DHL, The Dow Chemical Co., DTAC Thailand, DuPont, DynCorp International, EMC, Environment Consultancies & Options, Equate Petrochemical, Expedia, Inc., ExxonMobil, Feros Sons Laboratories, GE, General Mills, GlaxoSmithKline, Google, James Hardie, Hadayat Sons, Harris Financial Corporation, Honda Motor Co., ICI Pakistan, Infineon Technologies, ITT Corporation, JCB, Johnson & Johnson, JPMorgan Chase, Kabani & Company, KAPCO, Kraft Foods, Levi Strauss, LG Electronics, MDS Foods, Medtronic, Microsoft, MoneyGram International, Monsanto, Motorola, NetSol Technologies, Inc., Novo Nordisk, Orascom Telecom, Pakistan Telecommunication Company LTD., PepsiCo, Pfizer, Primatics Financial, Procter & Gamble, Rogers Communications, Royal Bank of Canada, Royal Dutch Shell, Henry Schein, Inc., Sheraton, Siemens, Silver Star Enterprises, Staples, Inc., Tethyan Copper Company, Toshiba Group, Toyota, Tpad, UPS, Verizon, Visa, Western Union, and Wackenhut Pakistan.

 

People in Pakistan are invited to share information and updates by SMS texting the word FLOODS to 7111. People using the country's active Humari Awaz ("Our Voice") cell phone network are able to update each other about the latest flood news, valuable NGO grant and business opportunities and to make new announcements of support by SMS texting the word FLOODS to 7111. The Humari Awaz social network was launched by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at Government College Lahore during her visit to Pakistan in October 2009. Since the launch, the network's subscribers collectively have sent over 350 million messages. To learn how to use Humari Awaz mobile users need only SMS the words "HELP" or "MADAD" to 7111.

 

*The in-kind figure is not included in the calculation of the current USG total. It is an estimate of costs to date. The amount will be adjusted as additional information becomes available.

[nancyk58]

News on 25 September 2010 in relation to PAKISTAN

 

LATEST NEWS IN RELATION TO THE FLOOD DISASTER IN PAKISTAN - 25.9.10

 

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-11412051 / 25 September 2010 Last updated at 14:37 GMT

 

UN SAYS PAKISTAN's SINDH STILL HIT BY FLOODS

 

A UN agency says SEVERE FLOODING is CONTINUING in parts of PAKISTAN's SOUTHERN SINDH PROVINCE.

 

The Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says many families are still marooned on small islands with their livestock.

 

Despite the conditions, many displaced families across Pakistan are returning to their villages, OCHA says.

 

MORE THAN 20 MILLION PEOPLE have been AFFECTED by the floods triggered by heavy monsoons which began in July.

 

About 1.9 million houses have been destroyed or damaged.

 

In its latest report, the OCHA says that as many people return to their villages, there are CONCERNS over whether they can be supplied with ENOUGH FOOD and AID before winter begins.

 

There is also "increased concern" over the spread of MALARIA, with more than 163,000 suspected cases being reported in the past three weeks.

 

The OCHA says RESCUE OPERATIONS are continuing in the JAMSHORO and DADU DISTRICTS of SINDH, where vast areas are still submerged.

 

Aerial surveys show the monsoon floodwaters have created a large number of small islands, on which people are trapped with their livestock.

 

The OCHA says FLOODWATERS further SOUTH IN THATTA DISTRICT are taking longer than expected to recede.

 

Meanwhile in PUNJAB PROVINCE, more residents are returning, OCHA says, putting pressure on aid agencies to support them before winter sets in.

 

On a positive note, the OCHA says the international response to its aid appeal for Pakistan has been "encouraging".

 

It says 31% of the $2bn (£1.3bn) REQUIRED for PAKISTAN has now been PROVIDED.

[nancyk58]

Latest news in relation to Pakistan Flood on 5.10.10

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11474762 / 5 October 2010 Last updated at 13:12 GMT

 

DEC's PAKISTAN FLOOD APPEAL TOPS £60m

 

The British public has now given £60m to help the victims of the Pakistan floods, the Disasters Emergency Committee has said.

 

This is the highest amount raised by an appeal by the umbrella group of charities since the 2004 tsunami and this year's Haiti earthquake.

 

DEC chief executive Brendan Gormley called the response "extraordinary".

 

But he said the sheer scale of the disaster meant there was an "enormous amount of work" still to be done.

 

The DEC said the vast scale of the emergency, limits on the capacity of the Pakistan government and a comparatively slow start in help from parts of the international community had meant that MANY OF 20 MILLION people AFFECTED STILL URGENTLY REQUIRED ASSISTANCE.

 

Access to some areas also remained restricted by flood waters or damage to roads and bridges.

 

MASSIVE RESPONSE

 

Mr Gormley said: "We are hugely grateful to everyone who has shown their support. Donors to the DEC can be proud of the work they are helping to fund.

 

"Our members had strong teams and partners in place before the flooding struck and have now mobilised a massive response.

 

"The sheer scale of the flooding means that there is an enormous amount of work still to be done."

 

The UN continues to report HUGE FUNDING SHORTFALLS in critical areas of its operations including FOOD, AGRICULTURAL SUPPORT and EMERGENCY SHELTER.

 

It launched a second appeal for funds last month when the film star Angelina Jolie arrived in the country to highlight its plight.

 

The DEC said EMERGENCY SHELTER remained an URGENT PRIORITY after 1.9 MILLION HOMES were DAMAGED OR DESTROYED by the floods.

 

There had not been enough suitable tents available, despite the fact that Pakistan was the world's leading manufacturer.

 

It will now be providing 155,000 people with tarpaulins and tents.

 

Money was also being targeted to provide CLEAN WATER, TOILETS and HYGIENE SUPPORT for 550,000 PEOPLE and HEALTHCARE for 359,000 people, including assistance for malnourished children, pregnant woman and the elderly.

 

Additionally FOOD, EMERGENCY SHELTER and HOUSEHOLD ITEMS such as pots and pans were also being provided.

 

In all provinces except Sindh, the majority of the displaced have either returned to their home areas or are in the process of moving back.

 

DIARRHOEA and MALARIA remain very serious concerns in PUNJAB and SINDH due to hot weather, standing water, and poor access to clean water and safe toilets.

 

TOP DEC APPEALS

 

• £390m - 2004 Tsunami

• £101m - 2010 Haiti earthquake

• £60.8m - 2010 Pakistan floods

• £60.7m - 2005 Pakistan earthquake

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News in relation to PAKISTAN FLOODS on 24.11.10

 

PAKISTAN FLOODS

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-11826642

24 November 2010 Last updated at 07:59 GMT

 

Pakistani interior minister denies flood aid corruption

 

Pakistan's Interior Minister Rehman Malik has defended the way his country is distributing millions of dollars of flood relief.

 

His comments follow allegations of corruption from flood affected people.

 

The government has launched a huge compensation scheme under which people can withdraw cash aid from local banks using special electronic cards.

 

Some people say they have been denied cards, while others say payments made have disappeared from their accounts.

 

Under the compensation scheme, the government will eventually give more than 85,450 rupees ($1,000, £631) per household to 1.5 million families who have been directly affected by the disaster, reports the BBC's Jill McGivering.

 

So far, some 38,000 cases of fraud are being investigated, our correspondent says.

 

In an interview with the BBC, Mr Malik described the electronic card system being administered by the government as "foolproof".

 

He said the problems with the scheme were due to the public's dishonesty, and not official corruption.

 

However Mr Malik acknowledged instances of identity fraud and an illegal market in compensation cards.

 

Recently, Pakistan announced mid-year measures to raise more than $700m (£435m) to support people affected by monsoon floods over the summer.

 

A study of flood damage conducted by the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank have put total losses at about $9.7bn (£6bn).

 

Another article on Pakistan flood victims:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-11648701

28 October 2010 Last updated at 21:21 GMT

 

DESPAIR OF PAKISTAN's FORGOTTEN FLOOD VICTIMS

 

By Orla Guerin BBC News, Sindh

 

Liaqat Babar, a farmer in Pakistan's southern province of Sindh, sees just one escape from the hunger, loss and torment inflicted by the recent catastrophic floods. Suicide.

 

When I see my kids, I feel like killing myself," he says.

 

"We are powerless. We just keep quiet and ask God for death."

 

Three months after the flooding which affected 20 million people and one fifth of the country, Liaqat has no home, no hope and no answers for his six children.

 

"They are crying for food, " he says.

"I tell them God will send someone very kind, and I send them to sleep. In the morning they ask again for food, and I say again that God will send someone."

 

Queuing in vain

 

Liaqat was among a throng of broken men queuing for hours under a blistering sun, at a distribution of aid in the town of Daur.

 

Like many other areas in Sindh, Daur is cut off by water - an island of desperation.

 

Troops were deployed to control the hungry, who began gathering at six in the morning.

 

With a single helicopter the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) could only bring in 250-300 rations. But three or four times that number had joined the queue.

 

"It is heartbreaking," said WFP's Dorte Jessen, looking across at the swelling crowd.

 

"The need is so big, and you want to help everyone."

 

But they could not all be helped that day. Liaqat was among those who was left empty-handed.

 

Soon there could be even less to go round. The WFP says it will have to cut rations - by half - in November because of a lack of donations.

 

The UN's $2bn (£1.26) APPEAL FOR PAKISTAN IS LESS THAN 40% FUNDED.

 

DYING FROM HUNGER

 

There is already the spectre of malnutrition. It is always a problem in Sindh province and now it is rising dangerously, according to Dorte Jessen.

 

"In the camps we have been tracking, the malnutrition rate is shockingly high," she says.

 

"The rates were high before. Now they are alarmingly high."

 

In a hospital in the city of Sukkur the BBC found some of hunger's young victims. The grimy airless paediatric ward was overcrowded.

 

Some of the seriously-ill children were two to a bed, among them a six-month-old boy called Ali Nawaz.

 

He was motionless and skeletal - his body shrunken by starvation. Ali Nawaz was also suffering from pneumonia - contracted from sleeping under an open sky.

His grandmother Mai Sehat was keeping a vigil by his side.

 

"We had no transport to take him anywhere," she said, through her tears.

We are absolutely helpless due to poverty. We are in agony now, because of Ali Nawaz. I can't bear to look at him in this condition."

 

As she spoke she stroked his tiny frame, calling out to God again and again to give long life to her only grandchild.

 

Casualty of chaos

 

Other flood victims have already buried their children. In a camp in the town of Shikarpur we found two grieving families.

 

Basra Qurban lost her 18-month-old daughter Aasia during a chaotic food distribution. The little girl was knocked from her mother's arms and killed by her fall.

 

"Her back was broken on the spot," Basra said.

 

"When she was born we thought we would give her a good education and a good environment. That child was the most dear one."

 

Since the food distribution that killed her daughter two weeks ago, Basra has received no help.

 

"We are dying from hunger," she said. "Our only hope is in God."

 

Her neighbours in the camp say that when they protested about Aasia's death, the authorities responded fast.

 

"We had a sit-down protest and blocked the road," said Liaqat Hussain.

 

"People from the government came and beat us with sticks and told us to get back to the camp."

 

Like many others we met in our return visit to Sindh province, they told us they had received no help from the government.

 

It has admitted to a slow start in responding to the crisis, but months later it is still struggling to cope.

 

It is a short walk from the camp to the spot where Nimani Bakhsh buried her twin girls, Hanifa and Sharifa, in the shade of a large tree.

 

They lived for just 12 days. Nimani says they died of hunger because she could not produce enough milk.

 

"Please come back, my children," she said, weeping at the graveside.

"You have gone to the other world my children, but please come back. Oh God, please bring them back."

 

NEW THREATHS

 

Aasia, Hanifa and Sharifa are among the flood's hidden victims - their passing almost unnoticed. The fear is that many more will be at risk in the months ahead.

 

Aid agencies say many promises of help have receded with the flood waters. They warn that funds are drying up, as new threats are emerging.

 

Diseases are spreading, and winter is closing in on the 20 million flood victims - seven million of whom still do not have shelter.

 

We found some of them deep in the flood zone, in Dadu district. It took two hours to reach them, by boat. We travelled with the Pakistan army across farmland still buried beneath the water.

 

A young mother called Parveen was cradling her baby son Mohammed Hussain in her arms and wondering how he would survive the falling temperatures.

 

She and thousands of others are marooned on a network of embankments, hostage to the flood waters, and exposed to heat, cold and mosquitoes.

 

"We are worried about the winter," she said. "We have no blankets and no warm clothes, and there is nothing to eat."

 

After two months on the embankments they do not even have tents - failed by

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News in relation to PAKISTAN on 4 December 2010

 

Swedish SVT: UNITED NATIONS: 1 MILLION PAKISTANI ARE STILL IN NEED OF HELP after the floods 4 months ago when entire cities were washed away and agricultural land submerged / under water.

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World Human Rights Day: Debt Relief to Help Pakistan Flood Victims / situation in Pakistan from OXFAM rep. in Pakistan

 

http://www.care2.com/causes/human-rights/blog/world-human-rights-day-help-pakistan-flood-victims/

 

WORLD HUMAN RIGHTS DAY: DEBT RELIEF TO HELP PAKISTAN FLOOD VICTIMS

posted by: Cynthia Liu

 

Looking for a way to mark World Human Rights Day today?

 

When a devastating flood--the result of fourteen straight days of heavy rain--earlier this summer killed approximately 1,500 people and displaced up to 20 million others, the U.S. immediately reached out with a $50 million aid package.

 

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton described the scale of the disaster:

 

In surveying the lives and landscape affected by this disaster, we see brothers and sisters; mothers and fathers; daughters and sons. We see 20 million members of the human family in desperate need of help. This is a defining moment – not only for Pakistan, but for all of us.

 

Entire villages were washed away, as were fields full of crops. Take a look at the top 5 things that were underreported in the global press about the floods. At the time of the emergency, it was estimated that up to $460 million in aid was needed to keep people safe from waterborne bacterial diseases and help feed and clothe them. Yet emergency relief coordinators noted that only a third of what was needed had been pledged by countries around the world.

 

 

Today, on World Human Rights Day, you can support ongoing relief efforts to provide medical care and help to rebuild Pakistan's roads, towns and farms. While direct aid is urgently needed, you can also sign the petition to have Pakistan's debt frozen by the International Monetary Fund for two years while the country focuses on recovering from the floods.

 

Sign now! It's inhumane to expect an already poor nation to repay international debt in the midst of a vast natural disaster.

 

------

 

I work for the aid agency Oxfam in Pakistan, helping with the response to the recent catastrophic floods in my country this year. I want to say thank you for signing ONE’s petition calling for Pakistan’s debts to be frozen and tell you why this was important.

 

The floods were unprecedented, having an even WORSE IMPACT THAN THE 2004 INDIAN OCEAN TSUNAMI: covering one fifth of the entire country, and affecting over 20 million people, the majority of whom are in poor rural communities, already living below the poverty line.

 

Through my work I have witnessed first-hand the devastating impact the catastrophe has had on so many. Initially this involved helping communities to access clean water, food, medicines and shelter, but we will be working hard for months and probably years to come to help flood-hit people fully recover.

 

While Pakistan is in desperate need of resources, it is being pushed by lenders to continue paying its foreign debt, ignoring the urgent needs of millions of people in distress. Pakistani civil society has been constantly urging lender governments and international institutions to provide much needed debt relief to Pakistan, so that it is able to help the millions of people desperately in need.

 

This is where your voice has helped achieve an important step. We presented the joint petition signed by over 200,000 people at a vital meeting of the countries who are responding to the crisis. It sent a clear message that they should ensure Pakistan has as much of its own resources as possible to spend on the long term rebuilding work to help those affected.

 

This call for action has helped to get the issue firmly on the international agenda – a vital start.

 

What’s needed next is for the Pakistan Government to make it clear that resources freed up through debt relief will directly benefit those affected by the disaster, and donor countries to insist this happens as part of any support they give. Oxfam and local organisations will be campaigning strongly on this in Pakistan and joining with organisations like ONE to keep pressuring governments around the world.

 

Thank you again for your support.

 

Abdul Khaliq Shah

Policy & Advocacy Officer

Oxfam

 

On behalf of ONE.org

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News in relation to natural disasters on 27.12.10

 

News in relation to natural disasters on 27.12.10

 

27.12.10: UN ORGANIZATION WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME (WFP) STOPS DISTRIBUTION OF FOOD IN BAJAUR in north-western Pakistan where a female suicide bomber killed 40 (including herself) on 25.12.10.

 

More than 300,000 people who are dependent on food aid are affected by this decision.

 

WFP: Food distribution will not be resumed until the security situation has been reviewed.

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News on 18.1.11 in relation to PAKISTAN

 

News on 18 January 2011 in relation to PAKISTAN

 

 

Danish DR1 + TV2 News + Swedish SVT and German ZDFtext:

 

POWERFUL MAGNITUDE 7.2 EARTHQUAKE HIT SOUTH-WESTERN PAKISTAN

 

South-western Pakistan has been struck by a powerful magnitude 7.2 earthquake (initially stated to be a magnitude 7.4 earthquake) according to US Geological Survey.

 

The epicentre of the quake was at 10km depth. The quake struck at 1:23 local time about 50km west of the town DALBANDIN close to the Afghanistan border. The area is sparsely populated and known for its seismic activity.

 

No reports of casualties or material damage. And no tsunami was triggered.

 

According to media reports, the earthquake could be felt in several provinces and also in INDIA's capital, New Delhi.

 

In 2005, more than 73,000 died when a magnitude 7.6 earthquake hit the north-western Pakistan and Kashmir.

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NEWS ON 21 JANUARY 2010 IN RELATION TO PAKISTAN

 

NEWS ON 21 JANUARY 2010 IN RELATION TO PAKISTAN

 

Swedish SVT: MORE THAN 4 MILLION HOMELESS PAKISTANI 6 MONTHS AFTER THE GREAT FLOOD ACCORDING TO RED CROSS

 

Families are leaving the temporary camps and returning home only to find out that there is NOTHING to return to. This leads to a new wave of displacement according to Red Cross.

 

The floods in July and August hit 21 million people and destroyed millions of homes and vast areas of agricultural land.

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Six Month Anniversary of Pakistan Floods Sees “A Crisis of Epic Proportions”

 

Six Month Anniversary of Pakistan Floods Sees “A Crisis of Epic Proportions”

 

posted by: Suzi Parras (from care2causes)

 

Six months after the worst monsoon floods in 80 years wreaked havoc on Pakistan, killing more than 1,700 people and affecting up to 20 million others, “we are seeing a humanitarian crisis of epic proportions,” according to Kristen Elsby, UNICEF’s chief of communications in Pakistan.

 

The flooding started on July 28, 2010 in the mountainous north and quickly raged south over the next month, following the path of the Indus River. It submerged one-fifth of the country, left more than 7 million people homeless, and damaged 5.4 million acres of arable land. Some of that farmland is still under water, raising concerns about next summer’s harvest.

 

Oxfam, too, believes the crisis is far from over, and could get worse. As Neva Khan, head of Oxfam’s Pakistan office said during a press conference in Islamabad, “the aid community has done a tremendous amount, but given the immense scale of this disaster, we have only scratched the surface of human need.”

 

Today, in the flood-ravaged areas of the south, malnutrition rates rival those of sub-Saharan Africa. “I haven’t seen malnutrition this bad since the worst of the famine in Ethiopia, Darfur and Chad,” Karen Allen, deputy head of UNICEF in Pakistan said in a statement.

 

The United Nations says hundreds of thousands of Pakistani children -- particularly in the southeastern SINDH province, the area hardest hit -- are suffering from acute malnutrition, almost a quarter of the children in the region.

 

Shelter is a grave concern, 1.7 million homes were destroyed by the floodwaters, 900,000 of them in Sindh alone.

 

There’s been small progress. According to United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, about 166,00 people currently live in 240 camps and roadside settlements, down from 3.3 million in October.

 

The U.N. appealed for approximately $2 billion in aid last September but has only received 56% of it to date. According to the BBC, Pakistan's government is scheduled to halt most emergency relief efforts this month, but Oxfam is calling on the government to extend its deadline.

 

As the Guardian points out: “Before the floods the western aid effort in Pakistan focused on the north-west, where an earthquake struck in 2005 and military operations against the Taliban have displaced millions.

 

After the floods, aid workers admit to being caught offguard by the problem in Sindh. "It was a real wake-up call," said one.”

 

The U.N. claims almost 10 million people have received essential medical assistance, and about 7 million are receiving monthly food rations. In addition, an estimated 3.5 million people have access to safe drinking water.

 

But longer-term recovery will require continuing these services as well as reopening schools and reviving agriculture. “We are helping farmers in recovering their land by providing them with seeds, fertilizers and tools to accelerate the rehabilitation process. At the same time the humanitarian community will continue to provide food aid as long as it is needed,” Rauf Engin Soysal, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Assistance to Pakistan said in a statement. Humanitarian aid agencies are working in concert to alleviate the crisis.

 

The World Food Programme has been providing support to more than 5 million Pakistanis, according to WFP official Carl Paulsson. He says his organization has enough funding to continue through February, but would then experience shortages unless it received more support.

 

Save the Children has reached more than 2.6 million flood-affected people through emergency medical care, distribution of shelter materials, food, child protection, education, and livelihoods support.

 

“It’s going to be a long haul. Twenty million people is more than the population of about 180 countries in the world, more people affected than Haiti, the [2004 Asian] tsunami, and the [2005] Kashmir earthquake combined,” says Allison Zelkowitz, Deputy Team Leader for Programming for Save the Children’s Emergency Response Program in Pakistan. “It’s really a vast number of people in a very economically challenged country, so it’s going to take a couple of years to really recover to where they were before.”

 

Top 5 Shocking Facts About The Pakistan Floods

 

posted by: Beth Buczynski 153 days ago (i.e. from the beginning of September 2010)

 

Devastating floods have been ravaging Pakistan for over a month, but despite widespread suffering, the media coverage of this disaster has been casual at best.

 

Nearly 20 million Pakistanis have been displaced from their homes and put at risk for water born disease, yet the American media seems to have marginalized the issue, impeding the flow of supplies and donations needed to provide aid.

 

Some believe that "the West and Europe have adopted Islamaphobia, which obviously has clouded humanitarian concerns" (Huffington Post).

 

You don't have to be a political analyst to see that more social and political unrest isn't what this region needs. People are suffering, and as fellow humans and activists, it is our duty to do what we can.

 

Here are 5 things you may not have known about the Pakistan floods. Become informed, and then take action!

 

1. The United Nations has rated the floods in Pakistan as the greatest humanitarian crisis in recent history. Already, more people have been affected in Pakistan than the 2004 South-East Asian tsunami and the recent earthquakes in Kasmir and Haiti combined.

 

2. The Pakistan flood may be linked to the fires in Russia. Although the unfolding disasters seem far apart, they are actually being driven by the same meta weather system, according to a report from National Geographic. Kevin Trenberth, a senior scientist at the Boulder, Colorado-based National Center for Atmospheric Research, told the organization, "That's because the monsoon – a seasonal wind system that brings rain and floods to Pakistan and much of the rest of Asia in summer – also drives the circulation of air as far away as Europe."

 

3. Only a fraction of the people needing aid have been contacted by emergency crews. In the 10 days following the initial flood waves, the government managed to distribute only 10,000 food packs, which contained a box of dried milk, and a few bottles of water and Pepsi. These packages were meant to "feed" 80,000 people, leaving 1,720,000 without any type of aid.

 

4. The Pakistan flood may be linked to global warming. In an unprecedented move, the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) has come forward to formally blamed the flooding in Pakistan on "global warming," angering some denialists (CNSNews.com). "Indeed, the Islamic world is paying a heavy price resulting from the negative repercussions of climate change," said OIC Secretary-General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu at an emergency meeting in Saudi Arabia.

 

5. The destruction is enormous, and preys on the weak. Reports indicate 62,000 square miles of land have been affected -- about one-fifth of the entire country. Of the 15 million people seriously affected, about 50 percent are children.

[nancyk58]

Article from care2causes - how a ten-year-old girl experienced the floods

 

http://www.care2.com/causes/human-rights/blog/the-pakistan-floods-through-the-eyes-of-a-ten-year-old-girl/

 

The Pakistan Floods Through the Eyes of a Ten Year Old Girl

 

posted by: Suzi Parrasch

 

NAILA is ten years old. She lives in a village called Mirpur Buriro in the Sindh province of Pakistan – one of the areas hardest hit by last summer’s devastating floods. Naila escaped the flooding with her parents, three brothers and five sisters, but her home and her village were destroyed. The family fled to Hyderabad, staying briefly with her sister’s family before settling in a camp. Today Naila and her family are back in Mirpur Buriro, trying to piece together their lives.

According to the Pakistani government, 20 million people have been affected by the floods, including 9 million children.

 

“Many children still struggle in the aftermath of the flood,” says David Wright, Save the Children’s Pakistan country director. “Many have nightmares and they have not come to terms with the disaster. They do not have proper clothes they have lost their toys, and their schools remain closed.”

 

Save the Children recently led a psychological assessment of 120 children ages 5 to 15 in order to gauge the impact the disaster is having on the youngest victims. Perhaps not surprisingly, fear of water, people and darkness, insecurity, and aggression all top the list.

 

Now, as families are so desperately trying to restore their lives, support mechanisms are ever more critical to helping them move forward.

 

SAVE THE CHILDREN and other organizations have set up hundreds of “Child Friendly Spaces” across the flood-damaged areas -- centers specifically designed to provide a sense of normalcy and security. The centers offer crucial life and skills-building activities, a safe haven for children traumatized by what they are living through. Activities include art therapy, reading, group counseling, and playtime.

 

Workers at Save the Children met Naila at a Child Friendly Space in her village and she told them her story. Imagine what life must be like for this ten year old – and thousands, if not millions just like her -- as you read what she has to say:

 

 

"I had faced the worst days of my life after the floods started. When I heard about the floods, the first thing came in to my mind was that, oh God! We are all going to die tomorrow.

 

We shifted to the city of Hyderabad, to my sister’s house, as she is married there and lives there with her husband. But she has small home and our family is very large so we could not live there for long. We shifted to a relief camp near to her house. Those were the worst days I have ever spent in my life.

 

We lost most of the things in the flood water, as we could not take our belongings with us to Hyderabad and when we came back, everything was either washed away or ruined by the water and mud. In our village, the water was higher than me.

 

I have experienced the life in the camp and know how people live in the camps. When I was living in the camp in Hyderabad, the behavior of people was very bad; they used to tease the poor people and women, I did not like the environment of that camp, it really annoyed me. I used to get scared and cried a lot.

 

When Naila returned to Mirpur Buriro she started going to the local Child Friendly Space as well as a Temporary Learning Center with her brothers and sisters.

I like coming here, I enjoy being here, sometimes I want to study and play for the whole day. I really enjoy the games we play and the books we read.

 

Now I feel good that I can go to school and resume back my studies. I have a place to play and I feel very happy, I have almost forgotten the bad memories of flood I used to carry in my head.

 

The thing I like the most in this Child Friendly Space is that we can continue our education and we can play together. And I like the teacher there, she loves me a lot."

 

 

Naila is lucky she was able to escape the floods with her family intact. Many children were not so lucky, separated from their parents when the disaster struck and yet to be reunited. These young flood victims are at risk of exploitation and abuse, and the longer schools remain closed, the more critical the situation becomes.

 

Child Friendly Spaces play an especially vital role in ensuring, as much as they possibly can, that these children have a secure place to turn to, with the hope, as Wright says, of transforming the disaster into “a catalyst for change by helping children become safer, healthier, happier, and more educated than they were before.”