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Find out moreUpdate: Massive flooding hits Pakistan
03-August-2010
Women wading through flood waters with their children in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province Photo courtesy: Reuters.
More than 1500 people are now confirmed dead in Pakistan, with another 2.5 million people badly affected by the worst flooding in 80 years.
Heavy rain lashed the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, formerly North West Frontier Province, relentlessly for 48 hours at the end of last week, causing almost all of the province's rivers and streams to overflow.
Plan Pakistan has begun relief work in the Southern Punjab areas of Rajanpur, Muzafargarh and Layyah.
Plan-assisted communities in Chakwal, Vehari and Islamabad have been unaffected. No sponsored children or their families have been impacted at this stage. We will provide updates as more news on the impact of the flooding becomes available.
Emergency response
Local authorities have set up 17 emergency shelter camps in Rajanpur and 22 in Layyah – with an average of 60 to 70 families in each camp. Plan is providing bottled water, dry milk, rations and cooked meals to 3000 families. Child protection is a priority, and field staff are working alongside local teams to assess the emotional distress of people affected.
About 27,000 people are still stranded without aid and there are now further threats of flooding in previously unaffected areas.
Disease outbreak fear
An outbreak of diarrhoea and cholera is now feared. Plan is working closely with health officials to monitor and address disease, and is considering setting up mobile health camps in Layyah. Currently, Plan is assembling 9000 health and hygiene family kits for distribution.
"Rains have washed away hundreds of homes and shops, dozens of bridges, roads and destroyed communication networks, while livestock and crops have been lost," says Rashid Javed of Plan Pakistan.
Protecting aid supplies
As flood waters begin to enter Plan's Disaster Risk Reduction program areas in the province of Sindh in the districts of Thatta, Ghotki and Khairpur, Plan is looking to warehouse aid supplies so that they are not damaged.
Dams and barrages were expected to reach 'super flood' status over the weekend, while officials fear the true scale of the crisis is not yet known.
Government efforts are focused on the evacuation of villages along the river banks and low lying areas.
Plan in Australia is raising funds to help Plan's response in Pakistan. To contribute, donate to the Children in Crisis Fund.
Find out more about Plan’s work in Pakistan.
Media Information
Plan staff in Pakistan and Australia are available for media
interviews. Please direct all enquiries to:
David Cook
Media Officer
Plan International Australia
Mobile: 0448 816 900
Email: david.cook@plan.org.au