Islamic Relief has provided hundreds of families affected by recent flooding in Pakistan with foodpacks, tents, and other essential items.
Torrential monsoon rains which began in July have triggered catastrophic floods and landslides in countries across South East Asia. In Pakistan, rapidly melting snow has caused glacial lakes to burst their banks and the Indus River has overflowed in various locations across the country. So far, almost 3,860 villages in 43 districts have been inundated with water. More than 200 people have lost their lives, more than 19,800 homes have been damaged, and in excess of 1.4 million people have been affected.
Islamic Relief teams have been on the ground assessing urgent needs, and have already assisted 587 families in southern Punjab. The distributions covered four villages in Shadu Khan, Layyah district, and included food parcels, hygiene kits, kitchen sets, mosquito nets and tents.
Immediate aid and long-term solutions are crucial
Pakistan is particularly vulnerable to the impact of climate change, with recent warnings from the UN that the cost of climate-change adaptation could exceed USD $10 billion every year for the next four to five decades. Islamic Relief is currently delivering a range of projects to better protect Pakistani communities from the impact of disasters – including building community resilience in Khyber Pakhtoonkhw and disaster risk reduction in AJK and Sindh.
Islamic Relief Pakistan Country Director, Ateeq Rehman, said: “Islamic Relief teams are on the ground helping families affected by this latest disaster. Since the worst floods in Pakistan’s history struck in 2010, flooding has occurred every year. Hundreds of people are losing their lives each year, livelihoods are being repeatedly wiped out, and the poorest families are losing everything.
“These climate-related disasters are increasing the vulnerability of under-developed communities, and diverting resources away from much needed development in a country in which about half of the population lives in poverty,” he added, emphasising that alongside emergency aid, flood-hit districts require long-term solutions focused on sustainable recovery, resilience building and development.
Islamic Relief, which has been working in Pakistan since 1992, is coordinating its relief effort with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), provincial disaster management authorities, district governments, and other humanitarian actors. We are also poised to assist affected families in the district of Chitral.
