Latest Update on Pakistan Flood Situation

We have the latest update from the flood situation: The flood situation is worsening, with Sindh and Punjab regions now severely affected due to flooding of the river Sindh. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been experiencing torrential rains for the last two days, and flood warnings are being issued again. The level of the Kabul river has risen to dangerous heights and rain has contributed to more flooding in the already affected areas. People who had been returning to their homes are experiencing difficulties as the water is coming in again.

Update on BRAC Response – 10 August 2010
Our 41 staff members continue to work round the clock throughout Khyber Pakhtunkhwa distributing rations, supervising tube-well installation and conducting surveys.

EMERGENCY RELIEF: Efforts ongoing in 3 districts: Nowshera, Charsadda and Peshawar. Our 12 branch offices continue to distribute relief packages consisting of
food rations such as 5 kg flour, 1 kg lentils and oral rehydration solution packets (for diarrhoea) to 10,000 families in the affected areas, including both BRAC VO members and non-members. To date, BRAC has distributed 4,500 relief packages.

WATER: We have purchased 100 manual tube-wells to facilitate access to safe drinking water in in three districts: Peshwar, Nowshera and Chorsaddah.. So far, we have installed 9 tube well in the Rajjar, Umerjai, Lalakhale and Chamkani areas to create permanent sources for safe water.

We have also started distributing 6000 water bottles (6 kgs) among 5,000 families.

MEDICAL INTERVENTIONS: Our medical teams have set-up 4 camps in Akora Khattak, Nowshera Kalaan, Mohib Baanda village of Pabbi and the main town of Pabbi. One doctor and one paramedic have been specially recruited for each camp while BRAC’s Health Workers and Volunteers assist in disbursing medicines and providing primary care to the affected persons. To date, 5,300 patients have been treated at the camps.
One camp will also be set up in Charsadda this week and there are plans to set up camps in the suburbs of Peshawar.

REHABILITATION: As the affected families start returning from the temporary camps to their homes, BRAC will initiate a house repairing programme in the three districts in which it is providing relief. Under this programme, we will distribute PKRS 1,000 per family to 5,000 affected families and also distribute 5,000 plastic mats. To protect families from Malaria, we will distribute 1,000 mosquitoes nets among 1,000 families.

APPEAL FOR FUNDS: We continue our appeal to partners, other organizations as well as individual to support us in the relief efforts. We thank the individuals and organisations who have already donated to us for your generous support. The first individual fund package was distributed on 7 August in Pabbi, providing straw mats, medicines and food to the affected victims. We have presented a revised proposal for relief funds to work in Peshawar, with a budget of PKRS 3.3 million for a sanitation and hygiene relief package for 1,000 families.