Floods are devastating Pakistan. At least 1,100 people have died, and around 30 million are affected. More than a million homes have been destroyed or badly damaged, leaving many homeless and exposed to the elements.
People need food, clean drinking water and shelter.
Entire communities have been swept away. The government of Pakistan estimates that a third of the country – an area the size of the UK – is under water.
Schools, roads, crops and livelihoods are gone and conditions are expected to worsen as the rains continue.
DEC charities are already on the ground providing life-saving aid either directly or through local partners. But they urgently need more funds to reach more people.
Most urgent needs:
Clean water, food, emergency shelter, health assistance, sanitation and hygiene, protection, cash assistance, livelihoods support including seeds, as well as immediate disaster response like the distribution of life jackets.
How your donation will help:
· £10 could provide essential hygiene supplies for two people
· £50 could provide emergency shelter for two families
· £100 could provide emergency food for two families for a month
View from the ground:
DEC members are coordinating closely with the local authorities and UN agencies to deliver humanitarian assistance in ways that best address the needs of those affected and complements the government-led response in Pakistan.
More than a million homes have been destroyed or badly damaged, leaving many homeless and exposed to the elements. Around 33 million people are affected overall - one in seven Pakistanis. Whole villages have been cut off, with rescuers struggling to reach them.
Huge swathes of agricultural land have been affected, with crops swept away and three quarters of a million livestock killed, which will mean many people going hungry in the longer term. There is also a high risk from water-borne diseases spreading in affected areas.
Aid agencies are scrambling to respond to meet people’s basic needs such as food, clean water and shelter, and the government of Pakistan has called for international assistance to provide humanitarian aid.
The immediate and primary focus of the relief effort is to save lives and provide temporary shelter and blankets to people who lost their homes, clean water and sanitation to prevent the spread of water-borne diseases, food for sustenance, and medical assistance for those who have been injured or are ill.
Providing cash assistance and protection have also been identified as priorities, with the latter focusing on child protection, psychological support and distributing dignity kits. In the longer term, work to restore livelihoods through the provision of seeds and livestock will also be vital to getting communities back on their feet.
People urgently need help. If you can, please donate now.
Thank you.