How you’ve helped the people of Pakistan

31 August 2011

It’s now just over one year since the monsoon rains in Pakistan turned into devastating floods, one of the worst natural disasters in history.

Y Care International supporters responded generously to our appeal last summer, donating more than £320,000 to help Pakistan and its people recover.

Children find a little shade at the CWS food distribution.

Ghulam Rasool/CWS- ACT

We’re proud that, thanks to these contributions from our supporters, we and our partners have been able to assist more than 98,000 households – that’s more than 680,000 people! Donations were channelled through Church World Service in Pakistan, our ACT Alliance partner on the ground.

So what has been done?

Initial emergency aid included supplying over 2,010 tents and nearly 4,000 tonnes of food to the people of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, Balochistan and Punjab areas of Pakistan, as well as providing shelter, water and medical assistance. For long-term recovery, Church World Service (CWS), with support from Y Care International and ACT Alliance donors, are proud to have supplied:

• 5,100 agricultural vouchers so that farmers can now buy seeds, tools and fertiliser
• 300 cows so farmers can re-stock their herds
• 300 cash grants enabling small businesses to be set up again
• 300 household latrines – essential for good health and hygiene
• 2 construction trade training centres providing three-month training courses for young men to enable them to become welders, masons, plumber, electricians or carpenters
• 13 static and 5 mobile health units – to provide vital care to people at risk from health issues caused by flooding

Marvin Parvez, of CWS, said: “The support that came from Y Care International supporters meant we were in the top ten organisations who were able to assist a large number of communities across Pakistan. All of Pakistan – 20 million people’s lives were devastated. So that help was substantial and very timely.”

ACT/CWS-PA

Dilshad Sultan, a mother of five children living in Mohandari, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province – one of the worst affected areas - said in September last year: “Those with money survive as they can go to private hospitals and doctors, but where do we go because we have lost everything?”. Dilshad and her family now live in temporary accommodation across the street from one of the CWS mobile health units so her children get any assistance they need. Strong, brick houses are being built for people like Dilshad. Aid partners will work with communities prone to flooding and help them identify and prepare for risks specific to their area.