Flood in Pakistan (Monsoon 2010)

December 2010: We are still updating our updates section. Please have a look at the updates section. You can also find a summary of our efforts there.

November 2010: We are continously updating our updates section. Please have a look at the updates section.

October 2010: After rescuse activities, our rehabilitation activties are still in progress. Please have a look at the updates section.

Pakistan Floods: damage and Challenges:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-11104310

Chris Morris: "The Indus river is running at 40 times its normal volume of water" Fresh flooding in southern Pakistan has displaced almost a million people in the past 48 hours, the UN has said. August 28, 2010

3.6 million people were homeless in Sindh province alone, with numbers expected to rise in coming days. August 21, 2010

The UN says more than 17 million people have been affected by the floods, which now cover a fifth of the country. August 20, 2010

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who visited Pakistan, said the floods were the worst disaster he had seen. Mr Ban als said that one fifth of Pakistan had been ravaged by floods. August 14, 2010

"This disaster is one of the most challenging that any country has faced in recent years"John Holmes (UN) - August 11, 2010

"There are literally millions of people tonight in Pakistan who are sleeping out in the open on high ground” Martin Mogwanja UN humanitarian coordinator in Pakistan. - August 11, 2010

"We have losses in cotton, in sugarcane, in rice, in pulses and in tobacco - these are huge losses for the future," ........ "These are the nation's cash crops which will really affect the economy of Pakistan." ........ "Their crops have gone, their livestock has gone, the infrastructure, the roads are gone," (Pakistan Food Minister) - August 10, 2010

Mr Holmes (UN) pointed out that almost one in 10 of Pakistan's population had been affected by the floods and at least 6 million were in need of immediate humanitarian aid.

"The floodwaters have devastated towns and village, downed power and communications lines, washed away bridges and roads and inflicted major damage to buildings and houses," he said. Pakistan's government had led the response to the floods by initiating rescue and relief operations and evacuating hundreds of thousands of people but could not cope on its own, Mr Holmes argued. "While the death toll may be much lower than in some major disasters... it is clear that this disaster is one of the most challenging that any country has faced in recent years," he added.

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The wave of floods triggered by monsoon rains in Pakistan is now said to have killed at least 1600 people. Many are still missing. A local government official described the flooding as the worst in the country’s history. More than 20 million people have been affected in the inundated areas by Pakistan's worst floods in 80 years.

The BBC's Lyse Doucet in Islamabad says such flooding would have been a challenge in any country, but it is a growing crisis for a country like Pakistan, already suffering economic woes and a Taliban insurgency.

"We just ran away with our children, leaving behind everything," Fateh Mohammad, a resident of the Kot Addu area, told AP. Pakistani forecasters said there could be more flash floods in the devastated north-west, and warned that heavy rainfall would also hit other parts of the country in the coming days. Aid agencies say the risk of waterborne diseases spreading will remain high until the floodwaters fully recede. Officials said there were reports of cholera emerging in the Swat Valley. Governments around the world have pledged millions of dollars in aid, but there has been no decision yet on whether to launch a global appeal.

BBC (At the Scene): It is astonishing how much of Pakistan is affected by this crisis. I am in a village which was entirely swept away. I am with surviving villagers camped by railroad tracks on high ground, with water on both sides. There are horrific tales of how the waters came and how powerful they were. A survivor, Omar Khan, tells me how it rained and suddenly his family were up to their waists in water. There was a strong current. They rushed to save family members, but one woman was carried away, her body found two days later. Omar says the only help he has received has been from surrounding villages. We're constantly told that aid is being mobilised, but when you think of the number of people affected - over three million - of course a lot of people are going to fall through the gaps.

Organizations

See the "Organizations" sections for the list of organization and individuals active in relief efforts all over pakistan.

Updates (from our side)

See the updates section for all recent updates regarding the Rescue efforts. We will post all updates (news +pictures) from effected area where your menoy has been spent.