Pakistan Flood Appeal
Northern Pakistan has been affected by the worst floods in living memory – according to government figures almost 14 million people have been affected.
People in the flood’s wake were already desperately poor and what little possessions they had have been washed away. The extent of this crisis is only slowly emerging. The more villages that are reached the grimmer the picture becomes.
There is a desperate need for temporary shelter, clean drinking water and toilets to avert a public health catastrophe. People also need medical care and basic food items. We are looking at a sizable aid package that will require a great deal of public support.
Jane Cocking, Oxfam’s Humanitarian Director
The floods are the region’s worst in 80 years
Pakistan’s PM Yusuf Raza Gilani says 20 million people have been affected by the country’s floods, a much higher estimate than the UN’s 14 million
He was addressing the nation during much muted celebrations of Pakistan’s independence from the UK 63 years ago.
The United Nations has confirmed at least one case of cholera among the victims, in the Swat valley.
Health workers have been stepping up their battle against waterborne diseases in the flood-hit country.
Pakistan Flood Appeal – In his address, Mr Gilani said 20 million were now homeless, although it was unclear how many of those people were briefly forced to leave their homes and how many had lost their houses altogether.
“Unfortunately, the recent unprecedented torrential rains and devastating floods have made more than 20m people homeless, destroyed standing crops and food… worth billions of dollars, washed away bridges, roads, communication and energy networks,” he said.
There were still flood victims to be reached, but the government was leaving no stone unturned, he said.
The UN had previously said the region’s worst flooding in 80 years had affected 14 million out of Pakistan’s 180 million population and killed 1,600 people.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is expected to visit the country during the weekend.
‘Slow’ international response
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s UN envoy has voiced renewed criticism of the international response to the disaster.
Zamir Akram told the BBC that the immensity of the devastation was only now being recognised, and that so far there had not been enough help.
However, he said he was hopeful that the relief effort was improving.
“I don’t think that Pakistan has been abandoned. As the gravity of the situation and the extent of the damage that has been caused by these unprecedented floods spreads around the world, the response is growing,” he said.
And flood levels are expected to surge even higher along parts of the already dangerously swollen Indus river, with disaster officials saying “major peaks” were expected next week in Punjab and Sindh provinces.
Aid agencies have been warning of the dangers of an outbreak of cholera since the onset of the floods.
The UN said it would start widespread treatment of the deadly disease.
Maurizio Giuliano, of the UN Office for Humanitarian Affairs, told AFP news agency that one case of cholera had now been confirmed in the town of Mingora, in the Swat valley
He said there were 36,000 more cases of people suffering from watery diarrhoea – one of the symptoms of cholera.
“Given that there are concerns about cholera, which is a very deadly disease, what we’ve started to do instead of testing them for cholera is to treat everyone for cholera,” he said.
“We’re not suggesting that everyone who has acute watery diarrhoea has cholera, but cholera is certainly a concern and that’s why we’re stepping up our efforts to treat cholera.”
There are many Pakistan Flood Appeals – open your wallets and give freely.
