HUMANITARIAN COALITION representatives from Canada arrive in Pakistan - available for media

Islamabad, Pakistan – Kevin McCort, co-founder of the HUMANITARIAN COALITION and President and CEO of CARE Canada and an aid worker with over 25 years experience in global emergency zones, is on the ground in the flood-affected region of Pakistan. Kevin is available immediately for interviews with Canadian media to describe what he is seeing, and what relief efforts are underway.

Kevin has led relief efforts in Somalia, Haiti, Tanzania, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Bosnia, and this year was in Haiti to observe the relief and reconstruction work following the earthquake. He is well positioned to compare the situation in Pakistan to past major emergencies.

Bogdan Dumitru, who has over 17 years experience managing major humanitarian and development missions around the world will also be on the ground and available for interviews to address technical aspects of the crisis in Pakistan.  Bogdan has worked in some of the most troubled regions on earth: Liberia's civil war and the Balkans conflicts in the 1990s, in Central Africa, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Chad and Sudan. In 2006 he was part of the relief mission helping the survivors of the tsunami disaster.

Also, Muhammad Qazilbash, Save the Children’s country director for Pakistan, is already on the ground in Pakistan now and available for interviews. He is a Pakistani Canadian from Aylmer, Quebec, with more than 15 years experience in international development, specializing in emergency relief.

The members of the HUMANITARIAN COALITION also have other spokespeople available for interviews in Pakistan and should be contacted directly for more information.

The HUMANITARIAN COALITION, with the joint efforts of its members, CARE Canada, Oxfam Canada, Oxfam-Québec and Save the Children Canada, provides a widespread and effective response to humanitarian emergencies. By combining under one banner, the HUMANITARIAN COALITION makes it easy for Canadians to donate in an emergency. With one joint fundraising apparatus, the HUMANITARIAN COALITION reduces fundraising costs, increasing the impact of Canadian donations where it is needed.

For more information about the HUMANITARIAN COALITION: www.together.ca