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Help Pakistan flood victims
The flooding in Pakistan has caused enormous devastation, placing a fifth of the country under water. The tens of millions of people affected is larger than the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the 2005 Pakistan earthquake, and the 2010 Haiti earthquake combined. Please donate generously to the charity of your choice which is collecting donations for the flood victims.
Huffington Post Impact has compiled a list of ways to support Pakistani families affected by the floods.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton encouraged Americans to donate $10 to Pakistan flood relief by texting "SWAT" to 50555. Clinton said the funds would be used by the United Nations to provide food, water, medicine, tents and clothing to affected families.
American aid organization Save the Children, which has worked in Pakistan for over 25 years, is providing plastic sheets, hygiene kits and other supplies to children and families in flooded regions. Make a donation to Save the Children's Pakistan Children in Emergency Fund now.
UNICEF has made distribution of clean water their top priority, as the water supply for hundreds of thousands of Pakistanis has been polluted. UNICEF representative Martin Mogwanja estimates that it will take at least three to six months to restore even basic facilities such as sanitation and agriculture. Make a contribution to UNICEF.
UK-based nonprofit Concern Worldwide is helping displaced families in Pakistan by providing them with food rations, clean water and hygiene kits. Make a donation to support their relief efforts.
CARE is responding to the disaster in Pakistan by providing tents and other emergency supplies to displaced families. The organization is also supporting several mobile health clinics treating the sick and wounded in flooded communities. Support relief efforts with a donation to the organization.
Poverty relief organization Oxfam is working to bring water, sanitation and hygiene projects to devastated communities in northwest Pakistan. You can support the organization by making a contribution to their Saving Lives 24/7 Fund.
International Medical Corps deployed six mobile medical units in Pakistan and has already distributed over 10,000 hygiene kits to those in need. Donate to their efforts.
According to the Mercy Corps website, they are "working to provide clean water, staple foods and clean-up tools to families." A donation of $30 "provides a family with a two-week supply of cooking oil, rice, sugar and other staples." Donate to Mercy Corps.
The Acumen Fund has worked in Pakistan since 2002 and encourages donations to the following four organizations during the crisis: Rural Support Program Network, Kashf Foundation, International Rescue Committee, The Citizens Foundation.
ActionAid was already stationed in Pakistan when the rains hit, and were among the first organizations to bring food and hygiene kits. They're helping to build shelters in the Upper Swat valley. Make a donation to ActionAid.
Relief International is providing emergency resources to the Khyber Pukhtunkhwa, Baluchistan and Punjab regions. You can donate a survival kit through their Pakistan Flood Emergency Response Fund online or at 1-800-573-3332.
Medical relief charity Merlin USA is helping flood victims by airlifting medical teams into inaccessible regions to set up mobile clinics and treat injuries. You can make a donation to the organization's general fund to support their medical relief services.
The British Red Cross is on the ground in Pakistan, bringing medical services, food, water and shelter to Pakistanis in need. UK citizens can donate online or by phone to support the organization's efforts.
Flood waters have forced international poverty relief organization BRAC to close 10 of its 12 local offices across Pakistan. BRAC workers are now directing their efforts toward humanitarian aid, distributing water sanitation supplies and food packets to families. The organization also plans to help rebuild houses and latrines in upcoming months. You can contribute by making an online donation or signing up to give a monthly gift.
British organization Islamic Relief Worldwide has appealed for ﾣ2 million to provide water, food and shelter to victims. Donate through their official site.
Music For Relief is providing emergency assistance to Pakistani families in need. You can help by making an online donation -- Music For Relief will match all individual donations given to flood relief up to $10,000.
Here are some Muslim institutions raising funds in the US:
Edhi Foundation USA
http://www.edhifoundation.com/contact.asp
Islamic Relief USA
http://www.islamicreliefusa.org/pakistan-floods?gclid=CPmarOrO0aMCFQhbagodBk75uw
Islamic Medical Association of North America (IMANA)
http://www.imana.org/
Islamic Society of North America (ISNA)
http://www.isna.net/articles/Press-Releases/ISNA-Urges-Community-to-Support-Flood-Victims-in-Pakistan.aspx
The Zakat Foundation of America
http://zakat.org/where_we_work/campaign/pakistan/zakat_foundation_pledges_100000_to_pakistani_flood_victims/
Situation Facts:
The devastating floods that have rolled through Pakistan for over a month now have left a disaster of massive scale in their wake. Current flooding can be described as the worst in this area in at least 80 years.
According to the latest official reports of the Federal Flood Commission of Pakistan:
- Damages from loss exceed $43 billion, almost one quarter of Pakistan's GDP.
- 1.2 million livestock and 6 million poultry killed.
- More than 568,000 homes have been badly damaged or totally destroyed.
- Almost 6.5 million people have been affected by this flooding.
- As the waters recede nearly 9 million acres (3.6 million hectares) of existing crops are gone. 3650 sq km of Pakistan's most fertile crop land have been destroyed.
- The flooding hit 11,000 villages and cities. For a time, an area the size of England was submerged--one fifth of all the land in Pakistan.
- The flooding has disrupted electricity supply through the inundation of the Jinnah Hydro power plant and some other minor power plants.
- The flood has also damaged transmission lines, transformers, feeders and power houses in different flood-affected areas.
- Floods have damaged highways and railroads, causing disruption of transportation and communication.
- Relief operations are being rolled out at a slow pace, as many towns and villages are not accessible and communications have been disrupted.
- The flood has destroyed much of the healthcare infrastructure in the worst affected areas. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 3.2 million people received medical treatment for diarrhea, skin diseases, acute respiratory infections and other illnesses in flood-affected areas.
- Some 65,000 cases of malaria were reported in the southern provinces of Baluchistan and Sindh, where a second wave of floods was displacing hundreds of thousands of people.
- Sources: BBC News. bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia
American Muslim Voice
September 1, 2010
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