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Gift of the Givers intervenes in Pakistan Flood

Monsoon rains have caused expanding destruction and death in Pakistan since June. Gift of the Givers, as a rule, never intervenes in any international disaster situation unless the Head requests international assistance from the State of the affected country. The Pakistani Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, made that call just 24 hours ago. 

We immediately opened dialogue with the Surgeon General's office in the Pakistani military and Alkhidmat, a civil society organisation, and both are entities with whom we had excellent partnerships during our intervention in the earthquake of 2005 and the floods of 2010. The military has the resources, helicopters, boats, personnel, capability and logistics to access "cut-off" areas as 60% of the country is underwater currently. Alkhidmat has proven its capability to reach the most far-flung areas where many poverty-stricken families reside. 

The situation is an absolute tragedy with a million homes destroyed, 33 million civilians displaced, roads, bridges, infrastructure and sewerage systems decimated, localities are cesspools of faeces with increasing cases of waterborne diseases, fertile agricultural land washed away, and animals are hungry. The official death toll is 1000, but the reality is that it could be 4-5x more, given the volume and power of water flowing in the country. 

The priority requirements are tents to set up tent cities, dry food rations that can be consumed without cooking and the provision of hot meals. Gift of the Givers has authorised the purchase of these items immediately. Medical care is adequate given the large support from pharmaceutical companies and volunteer health care workers nationally. 

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