Pakistan Floods Response

The Situation:

The worst floods on record have brought destruction to communities across five provinces of the country, including Balochistan as well as the Punjab, AJK and the north-west province of Khyber Paktunkwa. Sindh Province is also facing high alert flood warnings. As of August 18, Government figures on the number of people directly affected by the floods remain at approximately 15.4 million (National and Provincial Disaster Management Authorities, 18 August). Assessments to establish the degree to which affected populations are in need of immediate humanitarian assistance continue. The official death toll has risen to 1,475, with 2,052 people reported as injured. Almost 1 million houses are now reported as having been either damaged or destroyed.

UPDATE: According to the Pakistan National Disaster Management Authority as of 30 January 2011 the aftermath of the massive flooding continues to affect the people of Pakistan. Their latest statistics have the floods causing 1,985 deaths, 2,946 injuries, over 1.7 million homes affected and over 10% of the total population (over 20 million people) affected. Many are still displaced from their homes, either in camps or waiting by their homes for the flood waters to recede.

ELCA Response:

In collaboration with the other members of the ACT (Action by Churches) Alliance and Church World Service (CWS), the ELCA continues to assess the needs of the many people affected by the flooding. Initial assessments conducted by CWS and partners indicate that survivors face grave challenges given the loss of housing, crops and livestock. At the village level, people in general have little to eat and lack opportunities for earning money to purchase food.

The ELCA is supporting a planned response by CWS to affected communities in Pakistan. Efforts already underway have provided food and shelter kits to families in Sibbi, established mobile health care and emergency health assistance in Balakot and continue to assess the affected areas to identify those in need and plan next steps in the response. Based on assessments conducted by its staff and local partners, CWS plans to provide emergency assistance to 70,000 people in Swat, DI Khan, Sibbi, and Kohistan in the form of food aid, shelter supplies and mobile healthcare.

What you can do:

Pray:

Download prayers, litanies, prayer petitions, and suggested hymns and songs for use in worship with your congregation as a way of remembering those affected by these and other natural disasters, or in your personal devotions.

Study and Share:

Share bulletin inserts with the members of your congregation to encourage prayers and gifts.
          bulletin insert 8/19/10

In addition to what you find in the secular media, look at the following:
     ACT Alliance
     Church World Service

View a video from Church World Service to see how gifts to ELCA Disaster Response are at work.

Give:

Gifts to ELCA International Disaster Response help us to provide immediate and effective support to communities which are in need. Please consider giving to support the needs of this response and others like it. Information on giving is provided in the box on the right “How You Can Help.” 100% of your gift will be used in full to bring life sustaining support to this crisis. Thank you for your prayerful consideration.

Photo credits: ChurchWorld Service

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