One month anniversary of Pakistan flood-disaster reveals scope of catastrophe
One month after the devastating flooding of Pakistan’s agricultural heartland began, relief efforts continue at a feverish pace. Survival is not assured for the millions of children and adults now displaced by the floods and coping with waterborne diseases carried by contaminated water and spread through crowded camps.
Due to the scope of this emergency, aid agencies are still struggling to evacuate people to safety and provide them with the necessities of life. Amidst the swirl of emergency relief operations, the extent of devastation is coming into focus.
The facts are alarming:
- 20 million children and adults that have been affected. The death toll currently sits at 1,600 but is expected to climb significantly due to disease, malnutrition and insufficient medical supplies and care providers.
- 8 million children have been affected and are especially vulnerable to waterborne illnesses such as diarrhea¬one of the top killers of children in the developing world under normal circumstances.
- More than 500,000 people are suffering from various diseases in camps and may lose their lives if they are not treated in time. In Sindh province, up to seven people lose their lives each day.
- The UN is predicting a total collapse of livelihoods for people who depended on their livestock, an overwhelming reality for the two thirds of flood survivors who are dependent on farming.
- The World Food Programme estimates that floods have damaged 14 per cent of the country’s cultivated land. As a result, Pakistan will need help feeding its population for some time.
Funding remains a major obstacle for organizations involved in relief efforts. A recent public opinion poll conducted by Angus Reid shows that despite the government’s pledge to match donations made by Canadians, the level of giving lags far behind that following the January earthquake in Haiti.
David Morley, co-founder of the HUMANITARIAN COALITION and President and CEO of Save the Children Canada, arrives in the flood-affected region of Pakistan on Saturday to call attention to the plight of survivors.
“The one month anniversary following any emergency is a key milestone” Morley said. “But the unprecedented scale of this disaster has made responding especially difficult. Although seasoned aid workers are declaring this the most challenging relief operation ever, we are seeing progress. Right now we must secure the funding needed to ramp up our efforts while there’s still a small window of opportunity to prevent an even greater human catastrophe.”
