Teams from around the globe respond to Pakistan flood crisis

ReliefWeb (press release),

Specialist Red Cross Red Crescent Emergency Response Units (ERUs) from around the world are providing vital relief to thousands of people in Pakistan still suffering the after-effects of devastating July floods.
The floods affected 2.5 million people across Sindh and Baluchistan, claming more than 300 lives and damaging or destroying 80,000 homes.
Red Cross Red Crescent teams from Britain, Finland, Spain, Austria and Sweden have been deployed to support the work of the Pakistan Red Crescent Society in assisting affected people in Larkana district in Sindh. The teams cover health care, water and sanitation, and logistics.
The ERUs consist of highly trained staff ready to be deployed within 48 hours and operational within a week. Five units have been deployed to Pakistan – a Finnish Red Cross health team, three water and sanitation teams from Spain, the UK and Austria, and a Swiss/Danish logistics team.
Along with Pakistan Red Crescent staff and volunteers, the teams are battling temperatures approaching 50 degrees Celsius and seas of mud, while trying to assist communities scattered over wide areas.
The Spanish specialised water team found communities in Kachipol and Qubo Saeed Khan in dire straits through lack of clean water. They've responded by producing up to 30,000 litres of clean water a day, supplying roughly 2,000 people since 27 July.
Team Leader, Paco Maldonado, says the situation was quite desperate.
"People were only receiving 15 litres per family, per day, which is not enough, especially given that there are seven people per family in Pakistan," he says "The minimum requirement is generally 15 litres per person per day."
A second unit will be up and running shortly while water will also be trucked to more distant communities with the help of UNICEF and local non-governmental organizations.
A direct result of flood damage and shortage of safe water is the immediate risk of disease, which is compounded by a lack of proper toilet and washing facilities. The British Red Cross mass sanitation unit has been working in Warah since July 27 to help tackle these problems, as team leader Vendela Fortune explains.
"Our focus is to minimize public health risks caused by water and excreta related diseases. We do this by providing facilities for going to the toilet, managing waste and drainage, and then enabling people to make the best use of those facilities for their hygiene, dignity and overall well-being."
The British team has begun constructing toilets and will be distributing hygiene kits containing necessities such as soap and toothpaste. The team is also working with local people to promote better hygiene practices.
These activities might sound basic, but they can be a matter of life and death. Red Cross Red Crescent assessment teams found cases of acute diarrhea and diarrhoeal diseases which ultimately can kill.
When disaster strikes, women and children often bear the brunt. The floods in Pakistan have been no different, with mothers and children topping the list of the most vulnerable, particularly in relation to health needs. The Finnish Red Cross basic health care unit has been operational since July 29 and the 12-strong team of doctors, nurses and technicians is focusing on maternal and child health.
"Our team has been put together with this in mind. We have five female nurses and a local doctor, who is a gynaecologist, so women can feel comfortable speaking about their health care needs with a lady doctor," explains a Finnish team member, Andreas von Weissenberg.Working with local staff, they will operate two mobile health teams and a stationary clinic. The unit is also working with the Pakistan Red Crescent and local health authorities.
Von Weissenberg admits the health challenges are significant and the potential caseload enormous.
"We are operating mostly in schools, where displaced peopled have sought shelter. The numbers living in the schools vary from hundreds to thousands," she said.
The emergency response unit concept involves not only helping affected people but also strengthening the National Society they work with. At the height of the response to the 2005 Pakistan earthquake, a total of six emergency response units were deployed. Their presence helped develop capacity in areas such as water and sanitation, health and logistics.
Maritta Vuori, a nurse with the Finnish health unit says the goal for this operation is the same. "We are rapidly deployed, but we have a longer term approach. That's why we work with the Pakistan Red Crescent Society so when we leave, they can continue the work with the skills and the equipment gained through the operation."
While the Pakistan Red Crescent is the backbone of the Red Cross Red Crescent flood response, the fast deployment of the specialized emergency response units is providing vital backup. Together, they will continue to try to meet the ongoing needs, which will remain long after the flood waters recede.