Handicap International has been providing emergency relief to the victims of the current flooding in Pakistan for almost a week. The water distribution and clear-up activities set up by our team immediately after the start of the floods are continuing. The distribution of hygiene kits is also gradually being expanded.
The situation in Pakistan has seriously deteriorated over the last week, with heavy rainfall worsening the flooding in the north-west and south of the country. The Pakistani government has recognised that it is facing a natural disaster on a far greater scale than the 2005 earthquake. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimates there are around 14 million victims in the provinces of Baluchistan, Khyber Paktunkhwa, Sind and Punjab. The disaster has so far claimed more than 1,500 lives and destroyed 290,000 homes.
“During a natural disaster like the one currently affecting Pakistan, you’re faced with an ongoing emergency”, explains Stéphane Lobjois, Head of Mission for Handicap International in Pakistan. “For the last 14 days we have experienced a highly critical situation in which the population has been suffering without respite and the situation is not improving.” On 2nd August, Handicap International decided to release £83,000 of funds to ensure a swift response to the natural disaster, providing humanitarian aid to people in the worst-affected areas in the north west of the country.
Our Emergency Response Department acted very quickly to organise the distribution of clean water, a key factor in preventing the spread of epidemics, in particular cholera. This drinking water is continuing to be distributed in affected areas, as our initial goal is to reach 100,000 people. We are also helping people to access water by repairing water supply systems (pumps) destroyed by the flooding.
Our teams have also begun distributing 3,000 hygiene kits (soap, towels, mosquito repellent, etc.), 3,000 water treatment and storage packs (bucket, jerrycan, glasses, etc.) and 1,000 packs of cooking equipment to cover families’ basic needs.
A clear-up project has also begun in the districts of Hangu, Swat and Kohat. Handicap International is involving local people in clearing away the waste and debris swept along by the floods and removing stagnant water from towns, enabling the population to return to the area and limiting the spread of disease. This project should soon be extended to other areas.
Present in the country since the 2005 earthquake, Handicap International has launched two large-scale emergency operations in the past, most recently in 2009 when three million people fled fighting in the Swat Valley. We were therefore already present in the regions affected by the flooding, and currently have a team of around 150 people on the ground.
Our organisation has built up extensive expertise in emergency situations, including in El Salvador and India (2001), Iran (2004), Pakistan (2005), Indonesia (2005 and 2009), China (2008 and 2010), and Haiti (2010) to mention just our most recent operations.
