CAFOD pledges aid relief to Pakistan as flooding kills
more than 1,000 and 2.5million are left homeless
Aid agency CAFOD has pledged an initial £100,000 in emergency
funds in the wake of flooding that is devastating north-west
Pakistan.
And as the country braces itself for further monsoon storms CAFOD
is working with partner organisations on the ground to support
those most affected.
Lucy Morris, Programme Officer for Pakistan, said: "The situation
is desperate and with more rains on the way we are concerned that
more people will die and the floods will reach further into areas
that are as yet unaffected or where communities have already been
displaced. Those already hit by the floods will find it difficult
to cope with more heavy rain without emergency support.
"An estimated 2.5million people desperately need help in north-west
Pakistan, Baluchistan and Punjab. Food and water are in short
supply and the spread of diarrhoea and cholera among the homeless
is a very real fear. It is vital we get urgent supplies such as
temporary shelter, food, water and cooking materials to the region
immediately.
"Many of these people have already suffered during the earthquake
in 2005 and also as a result of the ongoing conflict. The few
possessions and means of survival they had have now been washed
away."
CAFOD partner organisations are at present on the ground in
north-west Pakistan, Baluchistan and Punjab where they are
supporting communities during the worst flooding experienced by the
country in three decades. Latest reports indicate that north west
Pakistan is the worst hit area where the highest concentration of
deaths has so far been recorded.
An estimated 2.5 million people have been displaced nationally
with fears that water-borne diseases will spread among those left
without shelter and adequate sanitation. Food and drinking water
are in short supply, and with many roads and bridges swept away by
the torrential flood water, getting aid to those most affected is
an acute challenge.
CAFOD partners are already preparing for a new round of flooding in
southern Punjab and Sindh provinces in the south as rivers continue
to swell with monsoon water. A state of emergency has been declared
in five districts in Sindh while hundreds of villages have been
affected in Punjab, Pakistan's most populated area.
Although our own partners have had to evacuate some of their
offices due to rising floodwaters, CAFOD is working closely with
those on the ground to assess the changing situation and ensure
relief efforts reach those who need it most.
As the Disasters and Emergency Committee (DEC) launched its
emergency appeal for Pakistan on Thursday (August 5, 2010) this
week Britain's Secretary of State for International Development,
Andrew Mitchell, announced £5m in new aid to pay for safe drinking
water, hygiene kits, toilets, sewage clearance and waste removal.
The US also announced last weekend that it would provide $10m
(£6.3m) in emergency assistance. It is also giving rescue boats,
water filtration units, prefabricated steel bridges and thousands
of packaged meals which have been distributed with the help of the
Pakistani Army.