Pakistan is facing a dire humanitarian crisis stemming from unprecedented rainfall and floods that have impacted every part of the country. The statistics are staggering. This monsoon season has left one third of the country underwater, over 1,400 dead, more than 33 million displaced and caused over $10 billion in damages. As most of the affected areas are still not accessible and we do not know the full extent of the disaster, it is expected that these numbers will keep growing.
This year Pakistan has had rainfall 780% above average levels. These rains might continue over the next few weeks exacerbating the current situation and hindering the relief efforts. The impact of the floods has been devastating, entire communities, particularly those built alongside rivers and other waterways have been washed away. Assistance is desperately needed for nutrition programmes, primary health services, protection, water, sanitation, women’s health, education support and shelter for displaced people. It may take months for the flood waters to recede and for rehabilitation efforts to reach the hardest hit areas.
The Church of Pakistan is mobilising a community response team to distribute emergency relief packages of food, water and other essentials such as medicine and shelter. They will manage an outreach programme to locate and support displaced people with their immediate needs and work with communities to provide skills to cope and strategies to manage flood disasters in the long term.