Islamic Relief is proactively strengthening its ability to respond effectively to emergencies in Pakistan.
As a country, Pakistan emits low levels of carbon – yet its poor communities are still paying a heavy price for the high levels of global carbon emission. Climatic changes in the region have increased the frequency of natural disasters in the country, with Islamic Relief consistently amongst the first agencies to provide emergency aid when they occur.
Together with the impact of the ongoing displacement crisis, Pakistan has suffered a series of devastating disasters in recent years. In 2007, cyclone Yemyin affected almost two million people. Swathes of the country were devastated by widespread flooding just three years later, with further large floods in 2011.
Islamic Relief’s comprehensive three year preparedness programme, which began at the end of last year, follows a smaller project to further enhance our capacity to respond effectively to disasters.
Training and mobilising community volunteers
With community participation key to our programming in Pakistan, we are training 100 community volunteers in specialised emergency response, and linking them to our emergency team so they can effectively support urgent relief efforts. Training includes rapid assessment, camp management, emergency logistics, and international standards in aid delivery.
As well as further improving contingency planning, Islamic Relief is also increasing its stocks of emergency aid items – and reducing the time required to get items to people who need them with warehouses in both the south and the north of the country.
Islamic Relief has been working in Pakistan since 1992, and provides emergency and development projects across the country.