Women affected by the floods queue to receive basic essentials. Photo: Sunil Sheroon/Tearfund
15 November 2011
Many thousands of Pakistanis still urgently need basic essentials three months after widespread flooding affected more than 5 million people, according to Tearfund partners.
Monsoon rains deluged southern Pakistan’s Sindh and Balochistan provinces, parts of which had barely recovered from extensive floods the year before.
Together Tearfund staff and partners are helping as follows:
- 6,200 households are receiving food
- 5,450 households are receiving mosquito nets
- 4,750 households are receiving plastic sheets
- 4,450 households are receiving hygiene kits
- 2,250 households are receiving cash grants
- 2,000 households are receiving blankets
- 1,000 households are receiving tents
Although the flood waters are slowly receding, fears are growing about the conditions many survivors are living in, especially as winter approaches.
Tearfund staff distributing aid. Photo: Sunil Sheroon/Tearfund
Grave crisis
More cases of malnutrition among children aged under five are being seen by aid agencies, after the floods destroyed not only crops but food stocks.
With much land still under several feet of water, farming-dependent families are unable to plant new crops.
For those able to return to their homes, lack of clean water and good sanitation means disease is a big concern, with skin and eye infections rising.
The Pakistan Humanitarian Forum says there is a critical shortage of funding and not enough international interest in the disaster
It is appealing to Western governments to send donations ‘to tackle this grave yet largely forgotten humanitarian crisis’.
Around 400 people died and 5.4 million others have been affected by the flooding.