MAP International assists in aid to flood affected Pakistan

Pakistan has not yet recovered from the disastrous earthquake that struck Northern Areas of Pakistan on October 08, 2005 and now, another devastating disaster has hit the country.
On 23 and 24 June, 2007 coastal areas of Pkautan were hit by tropical cyclone Yemyin, packing winds of up to 80 miles per hour (130 kph) rode over the Arabian Sea to the South of Karachi and hit the coast of the south west province of Balochistan, dumping torrential rain over Balochistan and Sindh Provinces. The torrential rains and flash floods have played havoc in these areas and the numbers of causalities is rising in the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP).
The weather phenomenon has caused major loss of life, livelihood and property. So far, estimates of more than 1.5 million people across the three provinces Balochistan, Sindh and NWFP are homeless and have been badly affected. Most parts of these areas are still inaccessible and road communications are totally destroyed that has disrupted large scale rescue and relief work, which is being undertaken.
According to media reports, continuous rain, flooding and damage caused by cyclone Yemyin, in the southern Pakistan province of Balochistan, has now affected 1.5 million people, 250,000 are homeless and has claimed more than 100 lives (un-official according to media). Meanwhile, many people are still stranded in flood waters and waiting for rescue.
The current situation of the flood affected area is very miserable. People have lost their homes and livelihood. They have nothing left. Everywhere, people are looking for relief assistance to save lives. This assistance would help families to pass critical time in a good way and improve the living conditions.
In conjunction with other Global Relief Alliance members, Food for the Hungry, Medical Teams International, Christian Reformed World Relief, World Relief and World Concern, MAP International will directly fund 250 hygiene kits for the Pakistan emergency.
Items that are typically found in the hygiene kits that MAP will fund:
Soap, Towel, Combs, Tooth Brushes, Tooth Paste and Cotton Rolls amongst other items.
In order to fund this project and offset the risk of a potential malaria outbreak, $10,000 is urgently needed! Help us in the efforts to bring relief to those in Pakistan, an area that has not yet recovered from a crippling earthquake that occurred nearly two years ago.

Flood relief efforts in South Asia unprecedented test for aid agencies UN

Source: APP

UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 7 (APP) The U.N. Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has warned that the sheer size and scale of the floods in South Asia, as well as the massive numbers of affected people, poses an “unprecedented challenge” for governments and aid agencies in their relief efforts.
The UN estimates that some 20 million people are believed to be affected in India, Nepal and Bangladesh in what is being described as the “worst flooding in living memory.”
According to UNICEF, hundreds of thousands have lost their homes, possessions, livestock and fields and will have to begin their lives from scratch when flood waters recede.
Among the most urgent needs are shelter and access to fresh water, food, emergency medical supplies and basic household items.
Last Friday, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) said it is sending up to three months worth of emergency rations to some 60,000 flood victims in Nepal.
However, given the number of families affected and the remoteness of the impacted areas, the agency estimates that it will need some $1.5 million to meet the basic food requirements of the flood victims in the Himalayan country.
Severe weather during this year’s monsoon season has wreaked havoc across South Asia in recent weeks. In addition to those suffering in India, Nepal and Bangladesh, some two million people were affected by devastating flooding in Pakistan when Cyclone Yemyin struck the country in late June.

Pakistan Needs Funds Now To Restore Children's Education In Flooded Southwest

Main Category: Aid / Disasters News
Article Date: 05 Aug 2007 - 2:00 PDT


UNICEF is concerned that primary school education could become a casualty of the floods that have affected southwest Pakistan in the wake of cyclone Yemyin in late June. The torrential rains have paid a heavy toll on educational facilities. Over 1,400 schools have been affected by the floods in Balochistan and Sindh, the two provinces hit by the disaster, and more than 200 schools have been washed away. Potentially, 67,300 primary school-going children will miss out on quality education when schools re-open in mid-August. In addition, about 139 school buildings in Balochistan and Sindh are being used as shelter for families that have lost their homes during the floods, potentially affecting about 7,000 students. Some villages are still under water. "This is a pressing issue as the school year approaches and these schools are scheduled to re-open in mid-August," says Martin Mogwanja, UNICEF Pakistan Representative. School enrolment rates in Balochistan and rural Sindh are the lowest in the country, particularly for girls - only one out of five girls goes to primary school in Balochistan. "We risk losing the already very few children that were enrolled in primary schools if we do not act now," said Mogwanja. On 18 July, the United Nations launched a Flash Appeal worth $38 million dollars to provide assistance to more than 370,000 people displaced by the floods and to restore vital services to up to 2.5 million people affected by the disaster. As part of this coordinated response, UNICEF appealed for $6.3 million. While water and sanitation interventions have been fully funded, restoring quality education for 20,000 children needs $872,000 and has only received $60,000 to date. UNICEF is working with local education authorities to support the reopening of the schools on time for the start of the new school year. The agency has already distributed 80 school-in-the box kits for three months in Balochistan since school equipment has been washed away by the floods. Each kit comprises of learning and teaching material for 80 students and one teacher. In the coming weeks, UNICEF is planning to provide additional essential school supplies to ensure that all school children affected by the floods continue their education. Depending on availability of funds, UNICEF and its partners are planning to provide 200 temporary shelters to 148 significantly damaged schools to ensure that 7,400 primary school children have access to a protective learning environment. The agency will also support the rehabilitation of 250 partially damaged schools. "UNICEF needs the generosity and commitment of donors and partners to fulfil its responsibility towards the children affected by the floods," said Mogwanja. UNICEF's major donors for water and sanitation activities in flood-affected areas in Pakistan are the Australian Government through the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAid) and the Belgian Government. About UNICEF UNICEF is on the ground in over 150 countries and territories to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence. The world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.

http://www.unicef.org