Responding to the Floods in Pakistan: August 20, 2010

August 20, 2010
 / 

Pakistanflood2In the last week of July 2010, torrential rains caused devastating floods in large parts of Pakistan. As many as 1,500 people have died in what officials have called Pakistan’s worst flooding in 70 years and has affected the lives of nearly 14 million people, according to estimates from the United Nations. The number is expected to grow significantly as flood waters pass through Southern parts of the country and as information from remote areas become more available.

Here we’ve listed several key organizations working and supporting on-the-ground relief. For donors who would like to make a gift from their fund, please contact your philanthropic advisor, Audrey, Rob, Erin or Barrett, at 404-688-5525. Others who are interested can visit the organizations website and make a gift directly.

CARE – CARE is supporting health teams, mobile clinics and the distribution of emergency supplies in the wake of flooding that has devastated wide swaths of the country.

Church World Service – CWS is coordinating a response in a wide geographic area, though given the changing scope of the disaster, specific information on location of distributions of food and non-food assistance and recipients is frequently changing.

Give2Asia – To address increasing needs, Give2Asia will work with its network on the ground to identify local organizations in Pakistan responding to the disaster. Immediate needs include evacuation and rescue, timely provision of food and personal hygiene items and shelter-related needs.

International Rescue Committee – Immediate program assistance for flood affected areas will focus on water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), non-food item distributions and shelter.

Map International – MAP International continues to monitor the situation in Pakistan and is coordinating with in-country health institutions and programs for the delivery and dispensing of medicines and medical services.

Oxfam – Oxfam and its partners have launched a rapid-relief effort to quickly reach 400,000 people in hard-hit areas of Punjab, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with essential aid.

Red Cross – To meet the immediate humanitarian needs from the flooding, the global Red Cross network is providing food, relief items, shelter, water and sanitation services and emergency healthcare.

UNICEF – UNICEF and partners have set up nine medical camps and are providing medicine, water treatment tablets, nutritional supplements, hygiene kits and jerry cans.

World Vision – World Vision has begun distributing food and water to flood survivors and plans to provide medical assistance, shelter, hygiene kits and other basic relief items as soon as possible.

For more information, we’ve included additional resources specific to the Pakistan floods:

  • The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
  • ReliefWeb: A project of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. This Web site serves as a clearing house for information related to the earthquakes and ongoing situational reports on the Pakistan floods.
  • AlertNet: A humanitarian news network from the Reuters Foundation that provides detailed news updates on the extent of damage and ongoing humanitarian relief efforts.
  • InterAction, the largest alliance of U.S.-based international nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), lists their members responding to the floods in Pakistan.
  • Give2Asia launched a Pakistan Flood Relief Fund after receiving initial commitments of $30,000 from private donors wishing to help survivors.


Share: