August 16, 2010
Emergency Brief #1: Pakistan Flooding
Situation:
The worst flooding in Pakistan's history has cut a swath of destruction from the northern mountain regions to wheat fields in the south. The Indus River breached its banks again on Saturday, August 14, in Southern Pakistan, bringing even more devastation to the area.
Government and humanitarian estimates put the number of displaced between 16-20 million people. At least 1,500 people have been killed, millions have lost their homes, crops and livestock, and heavily trafficked roads and bridges have disappeared.
The situation in Sindh Province (Southern Pakistan) continues to deteriorate. The UN now estimates that hundreds of thousands of people from Sindh are on the move, fleeing from both existing and anticipated flood waters. The government is beginning to establish camps in these areas.
Meanwhile, the situation appears to be stabilizing in the northeast. There have only been scattered showers over the past few days, creating more favorable conditions for the delivery of aid. Standing floodwaters remain in three districts, although not in CRS’ area of operation.
CRS Response:
Though hampered by washed-out roads and bridges, CRS has reached thousands of people in the north and southwest parts of the country. The main needs in the affected areas are shelter, drinking water, food and medicines, and CRS has provided nearly 2,300 homeless families in Balochistan with shelter and hygiene materials as well as water purification tablets, plastic sheeting and cookware.
CRS engineers are now in the process of repairing seven separate water systems in the region, serving tens of thousands of people. The agency has years of experience building and repairing water systems in remote mountainous areas of Pakistan, having worked on hundreds of systems following the 2005 earthquake in Pakistan.
CRS briefly had to evacuate its office in Besham, Shangla, on Sunday, August 8, because of rising floodwaters, but staff returned the next day.
Once the most immediate needs are met, CRS will help farmers and others to regain their means of earning a living. In several areas including Swat, CRS is planning 17 cash-for-work projects, paying people affected by the disaster to build irrigation channels, pathways and retaining walls.
From the Field:
"Our teams are battling the weather, the terrain and the immense scale of the disaster," says Carolyn Fanelli, Head of Programming and Acting Country Representative for CRS Pakistan. "In places where water has begun to recede, it has left behind a trail of devastation."
"One of our staff members from Swat—in the north of Pakistan—told me that the entire map of his district has changed. The floodwaters cut a brand-new path through the land. There are places he doesn't even recognize now," she says.
CRS in the News:
CNS, Church agencies step up relief work as Pakistan struggles with flood
Vatican Radio, Carolyn Fanelli interviewed, August 3
Washington Post – how to help
CNN photo slideshow
CNN - how to help
CNN interviews with Carolyn Fanelli July 30 and August 2, 3, 4
CNN iReport with CRS photos
Background:
Pakistan, with a population of nearly 150 million people, is the seventh most populous country in the world, and the population is expected to double within the next 30 years. The literacy level of Pakistan is one of the lowest in the world. In rural areas, 51 percent of men and 77 percent of women are unable to read and write. Compounding these problems is the lack of educational and employment opportunities for women and girls, the prevalence of child labor, and conflicts between people of differing faiths.
CRS Pakistan’s emergency activities include response to drought, the Afghan refugee crisis and earthquake emergency response and rebuilding process. In the non-emergency sectors, CRS focuses on water, agriculture, shelter, refugees, education, care and support to people living with HIV and AIDS, and teaching people how to support themselves in the long term in drought-prone areas.
Recent flooding has hit some of the same areas where CRS responded to the October 8, 2005 earthquake.
CRS has worked in Pakistan since 1954. The CRS office is located in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad.
Information for Church Bulletins:
Catholic Relief Services (CRS), the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States, is bringing critical aid to thousands of people affected by the recent flooding in Pakistan. To donate, please call 1-877-HELP-CRS, donate online at www.crs.org or send a check to Catholic Relief Services, P.O. Box 17090, Baltimore, MD 21203-7090. In the memo portion of your check, please write: Pakistan Flooding.
For More Information:
Please visit CRS’ press release page, blog & Twitter feed for updated information, or visit www.crs.org or www.crsespanol.org.
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