Relief for Pakistan’s Flood Victims

PESHAWAR, Pakistan – As terrible floods and ongoing heavy rains continue to plague Pakistan, Operation Blessing is working with its longtime disaster relief partner, Humedica, to mobilize emergency medical relief for the many families displaced by the rising waters.

Already, an estimated 1,100 people have died in the floods. The torrential rains have caused the worst flooding in the country’s history, with numerous rivers jumping their banks and entire towns swept away by the muddy waters. In all, more than 1 million have been affected by the storm.

A team of medical professionals are on their way to the town of Peshawar, where they are “expecting to encounter millions of people who have been left homeless, are dehydrated and suffering from hunger and diarrhea, or who have skin diseases due to dismal hygienic conditions and the warm and humid climate,” said Ruth Bucker of Humedica.

The team is prepared to treat thousands of flood victims who have taken shelter in the school buildings of Peshawar, a town that sits at a higher elevation and has been left mostly undamaged by the floods.

According to Benjamin Schaffer, who is on site with Humedica’s partner organization ARO Pakistan, the situation is chaotic and people are depending on international aid for assistance.

The flooding in Pakistan is the sixth major natural disaster that Operation Blessing has responded to so far this year.

As the rains continue to come down, the actual extent of the damage and the number of lives lost is still unknown, but Operation Blessing staff is en route to Pakistan to assess the situation.

HOW YOU CAN HELP
You can help by making an online donation toward Operation Blessing International’s disaster relief efforts. With your support, we can continue to provide emergency relief and recovery. Please make an on-line donation today.