Southern Pakistan has been hit by the worst floods in the region’s history. More than 8.9 million people have been affected, homes have been destroyed, vast tracts of farmland have been inundated, and important community facilities such as health clinics severely damaged.
Almost 665,000 people have taken refuge in relief camps; others live in make-shift camps on roadsides, surrounded by stagnant water, polluted with human waste and decaying animals. Poor sanitation facilities and a lack of access to safe drinking water mean the chance of disease spreading is increasing by the day.
The Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS) is providing safe drinking water, food, and emergency supplies such as tents and tarpaulins to aid communities in five of the worst affected districts in Sindh. Mobile health units have been deployed to provide emergency health support and hygiene promotion teams are working to reduce the risk of disease spreading.
The Red Cross Red Crescent is appealing for 10.6 million Swiss francs (US 12.1 million dollars) to help PRCS continue this emergency relief operation over the next four months, and has called on international donors to act quickly.
In response, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is appealing for 10.6 million Swiss francs (12.1 m US dollars) to help the Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS) provide emergency relief aid to 105,000 people in five of the worst affected districts of Sindh over the next four months.