19th October 2010
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies are appealing to the global community to act swiftly to ensure that the millions of flood victims in Pakistan don’t go hungry this winter. At a Red Cross Red Crescent donor meeting for Pakistan hosted by the Qatar Red Crescent Society in Doha, representatives from twenty National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies from around the world gathered to discuss and develop a plan of action to help the Pakistan Red Crescent Society support the immediate and long term recovery needs of more than 2 million people over the next two years.
“Unlike an earthquake, this is a slow onset disaster and the full effects may not be known for months to come,” says Bekele Geleta, secretary general of the IFRC. “The emergency is not over by any stretch, we will have to be ready to extend humanitarian assistance into flood ravaged areas of Pakistan well into next year”.
The floods have led to a variety of humanitarian challenges across different regions of the country. In the mountainous north, people are facing a winter without adequate shelter. In the plains of Punjab, massive crop damage to the agricultural heartland of Pakistan will have devastating consequences for poor farmers and in the southern province of Sindh, 1.4 million people remain displaced in temporary camps, unable to return home because the land they depend on remains submerged.
More than 5.5 million acres of arable farmland have been damaged or destroyed. The majority of farmers will miss the autumn sowing season, resulting in crops not being harvested for almost a full year since the onset of this disaster. Across Pakistan malnutrition rates amongst the population have risen to 14 per cent and an estimated 30-50% of children arriving at health facilities have shown symptoms of acute malnutrition.
“We have already managed to reach 1 million people with food and have scaled up our response in order to support hundreds of thousands of families over the next six months with food, shelter, medical care and improved access to clean water and sanitation”, explains Senator Nilofer Bakhtiar, chairperson of the Pakistan Red Crescent Society, adding, “helping communities to recover requires a long term commitment. Our volunteers were amongst the first to reach the flood-affected areas and will be the last to leave”.
The Irish Red Cross – Appeal for Pakistan
The people of Ireland are continuing to respond generously as news of the plight of Pakistan reaches our shores. The Irish Red Cross is working closely with the Pakistan Red Crescent, IFRC and International Committee of the Red Cross - ICRC to ensure that your donations reach those in Pakistan who need it most. The Irish Red Cross has supported the ICRC in providing 71,640 families with hygiene kits and through the Federation we are supporting a further 77,431 of families with one-month supply’s worth of emergency food items.
Food, shelter, medical care and improved access to clean water and sanitation are desperately needed and the Irish Red Cross is working relentlessly to ensure that the people of Pakistan receive the supplies and support that they desperately need.
To donate today:
Donations are still urgently required to help the people of Pakistan
Please make a donation online at www.redcross.ie Or call 1850 50 70 70
Or send a cheque or postal order, made payable to Irish Red Cross Pakistan Flood Appeal,
to the Irish Red Cross, 16 Merrion Square, Dublin 2