Pakistan: Cyclone Yemyin/Floods Appeal MDRPK001 Operations Update No. 4

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In Brief
Operations update no. 04; Period covered: 13 to 18 July 2007; Appeal target: CHF 21.34 million (USD 17.3 million or EUR 12.9 million); Appeal coverage: 9%; Outstanding needs: CHF 19.4 million (USD 15.8 million or EUR 11.7 million)
Appeal history:
- Preliminary appeal launched on 04 July 2007 for CHF 10.38 million (USD 8.5 million or EUR 6.2 million) for six months to assist 14,000 families.
- A revised emergency appeal was launched on 17 July 2007 for CHF 21.34 million (USD 17.3 million or EUR 12.9 million) for six months to assist 51,500 families.
- Disaster Relief Emergency Funds (DREF) allocated: CHF 250,000 on 02 July 2007.
Operational Summary:
The floods operation is in the emergency phase as the Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS) and the Federation work hand-in–hand to provide relief to the affected people in Baluchistan and Sindh Provinces. The Federation's field assessment and coordination Team (FACT) has completed its preliminary assessments, consequently a plan of action was developed and the emergency appeal revised on 17 July. Under the new appeal, five Emergency Response Units (ERUs): logistics; health; water and sanitation; mass sanitation; and specialized water and distribution will be deployed in Sindh, while Baluchistan will be supported by PRCS/Federation national staff.
To date, the PRCS has provided medical assistance to more than 10,000 people while a total of 9,500 food parcels have been distributed in Sindh and Baluchistan. Non-food items have been distributed to more than 1,300 families (9,100 people), while the PRCS water and sanitation team is active in Turbat (Baluchistan).
Background
Severe flooding resulting from heavy rains that were exacerbated by a cyclone in late June 2007 has affected over two million people in Pakistan. The Baluchistan Province is the worse hit, with 23 of its 29 districts affected. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has placed the number of affected people in that province alone at two million, with 130 deaths. The Sindh Province, where at least 311,570 people have been affected and 115 deaths confirmed, was also hard hit. Five of its districts have been affected. Infrastructure has been severely undermined with roads and bridges damaged or destroyed and telecommunications out in many areas since 26 June 2007.
In addition to the considerable loss of life, thousands of people have been displaced as their homes were either washed away by floodwaters or are inundated. In Baluchistan, 5,000 villages have been affected while in Sindh, 173 villages are submerged. Over 67,500 houses have reportedly been damaged across these two flood-affected provinces.