Thursday 31 March 2011

Equipment for Eye Camps required urgently

As we all know that with the onset of old age the problems of sight get worst.
In many remote areas of Pakistan most people are poor they don’t have access to any General Physician. They don’t get any old age benefits from Government or any other institution. They remain dependent upon their children. Because of illiteracy and unemployment their children don’t succeed getting any permanent job. They work on daily wages. Most of them just live from hand to mouth. Under these circumstances the majority cannot imagine to spare 6 to 15,000 thousand Rupees (95 to 240 US $ at least) for eye surgery. These helpless people are compelled to compromise living a miserable life like blinds.

Once, Dr. Ayaz Saeed (Member Advisory Council, PR) treated an old man in remote areas of NWFP, who used to live like blinds for 8 years. He had no money to go to any nearby city and to get rid of cataract.


In past, Pakistan Relief arranged a few such operations with the help of another organization because we had no surgical equipment available. We want to continue this activity on regular basis. Dr. Ayaz and Dr. Usman both have done thousands of cataract surgeries. They are available voluntarily at the end of every week. More over they can spare more time if needed.

In this regard we need some necessary equipment and stuff to continue the Prevention of Blindness Program both independently and effectively. Sometime hospitals dispose off the used equipment which might still be useful for us. We request individuals and hospitals abroad for entire or some of the following equipment. The list of required items is as under:

Out Patient Requirements

Essentials
• Ophthalmoscope
• Ophthalmic Torches

Second Priority
• Portable Slit lamp
• Tonometer (Perkins Type)
• Portable Autorefrectometer
• A Scan U. Sound


OT Requirements

• Operating Microscope
• Autoclave
• Hot Air Oven
• Sterlizer (We have already)
• Generator
• Stools (We can arrange)
• Trolly /Table (We can arrange)

Instruments
• Drums for autoclave
• Bowls (We can arrange)
• Cataract Surgery Sets 4 at least
• Cannulas


Supplies needed to carry out Surgeries

• I.O.Ls ( Available in Pakistan for 10 to 40 US $)
• Visoelastics
• Blades
• Syringes (We have a lot already)
• Cotton ( Available )
• Antibiotics
• Eye Drops
• Opbites
• Miostat
• Sutures

The provision of above said items would make our dream of eye treatment for the poor people true. The government has exempted all the machinery and medical supplies from taxes which would be imported for humanitarian purposes.











Emergency Response Team (ERT)



The ERT (Emergency Response Team) provides immediate help to the vulnerable humanity during natural disasters such as Earthquake, Flood and Drought etc. Inspired by nature, we work together without the consideration of any race or creed.
During the earthquake of Bam, Iran and the Tsunami, the ERT appeared on the scenes of disasters and helped the victims with a vital spirit. The Teams obtained appreciations of a great many people, United Nation, Red Crescent Society of Iran , other International NGOs, Government of Sri Lanka and HRH Prince Charles.
Pakistan Relief which is a Humanitarian Assistance Division of Wilderness Pakistan was the first organization which reached the earthquake hit area. The ERT (Emergency Response Team) of Pakistan Relief visited district Head Quarters hospital Manshera and a few villages late afternoon on October 8, 2005. Need assessment was done on the spot and next day two trucks of food and other stuff was sent to the effected area, which was further distributed among 300 families of Balakot, Bisian and Banna (villages surrounding Balakot). On the same day two trucks were also sent to Bagh area of Kashmir with food and other relief goods.

Accordingly SITREP (situation report) was prepared by ERT and sent to 18 different International NGOs, upon which the German doctors’ team confirmed their arrival for medical assistance.
Among other activities ERT also contacted Pakistan Army Medical Corps based in Manshera. Colonel Hanif who is Coordinator Medical Operation NWFP was the focal person. German team of doctors was given helicopter drop by Pakistan Army Aviation. First few days due to the assistance provided by Colonel Hanif, the team managed to operate in Nawazabad, Kalas, Deoli, Thredi and Jabar villages near Batagram area, treated and registered 9800 patients. 73 persons with serious injuries were evacuated by the helicopter and shifted to hospitals in Islamabad and Abbottabad, where a team of American doctors who volunteered their services treated them.
ERT team was divided into two sections one working in NWFP and other in Kashmir.
The section working in NWFP was further divided into two teams. One team started working in Shual, Shagi, Batangi, small villages near Balakot and second team started working in Rema and Jabori near Batagram. The teams usually start their activities at early hours because sometimes they had to walk on foot for two to three hours uphill in order to access the remote villages. Despite the fact that all the team members were fasting (due to Ramazan) great courage and dedication was shown by each and every member, which made the relief operation some how effective.

Acknowledgment

To all those wonderful people in schools and youth organizations connected with the WILDERNESS PAKISTAN projects, we want to thank you for your hard work and dedication to serving youth in your programs. The Wilderness Pakistan remains committed to designing quality outdoor education programs that are relevant to youth from all socio-economic backgrounds, in terms of the cultural, environmental, and educational aspects of their lives.
We will also keep on finding ways to provide an outdoor experience for all children as well.

Building the resilience of people to disasters

There was no dedicated institution in Pakistan to provide common people with training in the integrated fields of disaster prevention and preparedness. To fill this gap, Pakistan Relief took another extraordinary initiative by laying down the foundation of PRIDEA- Pakistan Relief International Disaster Education Academy. Disasters can strike anytime and anywhere. We must improve our skills and build our capacities. We call upon you to join Pakistan Relief and enroll in our short courses.

“Wise men dig wells before, not after a blaze. “

Success of PRIDEA has been assured though education of its trainers at several high ranking European institutions, such as Heidelberg University, St. John Ambulance- Die Johanniter Academy (Muenster, Germany). Several Pakistan Relief instructors at PRIDEA have been certified by these esteemed organizations. To disseminate their knowledge and build the resilience of our nation to disasters, we are focusing our training in the following fields:

First Aid
Human Survival
Search & Rescue
Emergency Radio Communication
Disaster Management
Logistics
K-9, Rescue Dogs

A brief introduction (Mr. Ban ki Moon)

Wilderness Pakistan is a non-profit organization dedicated to Adventure Sports Promotion, Environmental Advocacy, Humanitarian Assistance, Health and Education in Pakistan.
Inspired by nature, we work together to protect our communities and the planet. Over the past 12 years, the WILDERNESS PAKISTAN made tremendous strides in ensuring that low-income youth have access to nature. Wilderness Pakistan provided the means for number of youth to have quality, outdoor education experiences in Soun Valley, Margalla Hills and Balochistan.
The Club is being seen, as the future’s most influential grassroots humanitarian and environmental organization of Pakistan.
The WILDERNESS PAKISTAN members are your friends and neighbors. And we need to do more grassroots organizing. Our influence and effectiveness is dependent upon our members, donors, and beneficiaries.



Our Mission Statement About Flood Victims

• Promote Constructive Adventure Sports in Pakistan.
• Create awareness among youth to identify and enhance their abilities to help building a "Beautiful and Peaceful World".
• Establish a pool of talented people amongst different walks of life and invite them to do some thing for humanity without any race or creed.
• Educate and enlist humanity to enhance their skills through constructive adventure sports.
• Explore, enjoy and protect the wild places of the earth.
• Practice and promote the responsible use of the earth's ecosystems and resources.
• Protect and restore the quality of the natural and human environment.
• Use all lawful means to carry out these objectives.

High Angle Rescue Exercise

A fundamental level exercise for HAR- High Angle Rescue took place at Margalla, the foothills of Himalayas, Islamabad a few days ago. 21 volunteers and members, who are certified First Aiders as well, participated in a day long activity. This time, most of the participants were students, belonging to various institutions.

Fortunately, it was a sunny day and climate was very pleasant. The members gathered at the point of arrival well in time and we left the POA at 08:40 in the morning. The hiking route has already been finalized by the instructors but was kept undisclosed. The first part was consisting of a rather easier hike for an hour or so.

The second part got harder since the participant chose a self identified fire line on the hills to reach at the top. Though, the entangled trek was relatively easier and clean as compare to a 2500 feet, vertical attempt but some participants (M. Zubair, Fawad, Ameer, Adil, Ali, Umar. Imran and Asif) convinced others to move straight to save time for other tasks. This part consumed almost 2 hours. Everyone was sweating whilst removing the hurdles in the way that were mostly the brush and the bushes.

The third part was the most interesting part for all the participants since a nice cliff was found both safe and challenging for rappelling. The solid rock had some sharp edges which were made smooth using little boulders and a polyurethane sheet. Besides, the point where we coupled the 9mm line was a bit messy but almost everyone dealt with it making a good maneuver whilst leaving the edge of the rock. In the middle of the route, there was a challenge for every rescuer. That was to how to keep his body away from the branches of a tree while maintaining balance and coming back to the descending route.

Furthermore, the landing place was not that spacious and everyone needed to keep his safety in mind all the time after removing harness and till reaching downhill. Both, the leaving and landing points had no line of sight so on the top instructors were feeling the tension of the rope to measure the exact time being consumed by every rescuer. Mr. Jamil Khokhar was declared the winner at the end.

It was almost the time for sunset when we all were enjoying our lunch while sitting at rocks and enjoying a pretty view of the federal capital. The brown basmati rice with chicken- called Murgh Pulao helped participants restoring energy and gaining some calories for another day of training.

Blood Type Awareness at IIUI

A group of Pakistan Relief volunteers at int. Islamic University, Islamabad welcomed the New Year in a unique way. They arranged a program to create awareness of Blood Type on 1st January 2009.
Its very important for every human being to know of his or her own blood type. Unfortunately, in Pakistan the majority of the population is unaware of their blood groups. Such ignorance increases the vulnerability of the casualty during emergencies as well as reduces the number of the blood donors.
The PRIDEA- prepared some informative stuff as well to let students know of the history of blood typing, efforts of the scientists and the research institutions. A teasing streamer, with the wording - "Do you know of Karl Landsteiner ?" had been placed at the main entrance of the university campus on 29th Dec. 08. This helped us creating curiosity across the university campus. Students searched on the internet and read about Karl Landsteiner and the related articles.
The activity started at 09:30 a.m. and continued without any pause till 04:00 p.m. There were so many students gathered that we needed to distribute the coupons to maintain discipline. The students and other staff members of the university remained present near our camp to wait for their turn. They were not only eager to know of their blood type but several amongst them offered us that we can call them for blood donation in case of any emergency. A number of students got enrolled to the First Aid Training program and applied for the membership as well.
We intend to create a culture in Pakistan even everywhere else to motivate people getting aware of such important issues as a part of our struggle for laying the solid foundations of a broader, effective and efficient mechanism of Disaster Prevention, Preparedness and Response at all levels. We hope such basic education will help saving lives- precious than anything else in the world.

Born in 1868, Karl Landsteiner, the son of a prominent Viennese journalist, was educated at the University of Vienna, where he obtained his MD in 1891. After studying chemistry in Germany under Emil Fischer and in Switzerland under the German chemist Arthur Hantzsch, Landsteiner returned to the University of Vienna to work as a pathologist, serving as professor Pathology from 1911 to 1919. He then spent a couple of years in Holland before moving to America, where he took up an appointment with the Rockefeller Institute, New York, in 1922, remaining there until his death.
In 1902 Landsteiner announced one of the major medical discoveries of the century, that of the ABO Blood Group System. He died in 1943 but will be remembered forever.

Prior to this event a seminar on “Disaster Management” had already been conducted at the women campus. Dr. Shaban Kirmani, Head of the Department of Management Sciences addressed the students and faculty members and appreciated the organisers of program for educating their fellows of an important issue. She further admired the efforts of Pakistan Relief and PRIDEA and assured of her cooperation for such a noble cause.


Seminar on Disaster Preparedness

A seminar on "Disaster Management and its Significance" was conducted at federal Urdu University, Islamabad. More than a hundred students and faculty members attended the program. Some faculty members and students had invited Pakistan Relief to conduct a seminar on such an important issue.

Mr. Mujtaba Haider Imran, President of Pakistan Relief along with other senior members of the organization- Mr. Asim Farooq, Mr. Irtaza Haider, Mr. Ikram Ul Haq Sulehri and Wajahat Haleem attended the event.


Dr. Nadeem appreciated the students who made all the arrangements for a successful program. He especially admired Fawad, Zubair, Omer and Aamir etc. for their devotion and tireless efforts for a cause.

The president of Pakistan Relief said that" Students are the most energetic and enthusiastic clusters of our nation both in rural and urban areas of Pakistan. They have been working together with Pakistan Relief as volunteers in various emergencies such as earthquakes and floods. To respond during or after the incidents/ calamities one should have sufficient skills to cope with, effectively". He further stressed upon the need of paying due attention to various capacity building programs keeping in view the latest standards. He said" A well-trained person can perform much better without any equipment than a non-trained well-equipped person".

During the seminar there was a demonstration regarding the role of Radio Communication during Emergencies. Some amateurs got linked with the Hams present in the seminar at Federal Urdu University and exchanged information. The audience liked this segment very much and wished to join the Emergency Radio Communication courses at PRIDEA. Some students discussed of the prospects of doing a project for Pakistan Relief Int. Disaster Education Academy as part of their studies. Some wanted to design home brew antennas for VHF and HF radios and some were interested in developing Weather Stations. They were encouraged by PRIDEA members for taking such initiative to promote the cause of DPPR in Pakistan.

Certificate Distribution Ceremony

After returning back from Germany we started working upon designing a comprehensive plan of action to create awareness and educate people of the First Aid and its importance. We have been traveling across the country for this purpose. For the year 2008 we had set a target of training 5000 people. We achieved this target very successfully since at th eend of the year the total number of the trained ones became 5




272. Its was really very encouraging for since we got th success without any funding either from the government or any foreign NGO.
We had been seeking for some assistance or partnership for the First Aid Training Program yet unfortunately we couldn’t get any assistance.

There were only the two was in front of us either wait for monitory support or start the program within limited resources. We chose the second path and started delivering the knowledge. Normally NGOs allocate a huge or at least sufficient budget for such capacity building training programs but we managed it with the small donations that were mostly given by our members.

One of our members reserved the PNCA auditorium for the First Aid Certificate Distribution Ceremony while Lafarge- Pakistan Cement Company kindly sponsored the refreshment. We had got the knowledge from Germany and we were honored to have Ms. Katharina Lack, the First Secretary and Head of the Cultural Section of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany as the chief guest. Mr Afzal Khan Director NDMA represented honorable chairman NDMA, Maj. Gen. Farooq Ahmed Khan. An eminent educationist, Dr, Amina Nasir, Ex. HoD, Faculty of English, NUML, Mrs. Naheed Shahid, Dircetor Pakistan Sports Board and Mr. Nasir Khan, President PARS and several other were also the guests of honor. During the program 214 certificates were distributed among the successful trainees.

Pagosans Celebrate Sister Community in Pakistan

Participants enjoyed typical South Asia music played by Paul and Carla Roberts. A video describing how two small communities located on opposite sides of the world, Pagosa Springs and Gurais, Pakistan, are working to promote cultural understanding and world peace was enjoyed by all. Todd Starr entertained everyone as he auctioned Pakistani hand-knotted carpets. Our guest, Mr. Mujtaba Imran, President of Pakistan Relief, explained how this sister community relationship is laying the foundation for peaceful co-existence of the Muslim and Non-Muslim worlds. The approximately $8,000 generated by the fundraiser will be used to provide 10 ladies living in the Gurais Valley with an additional 8 weeks of midwifery training, and to establish another computer center and another sewing center. Thanks to all who make this program successful.

FLOOD IN PAKISTAN & LOSSES THEIR LIFES

Pakistan mourns air crash victims

The Air Blue’s Airbus A321 went down around 9.45am in the Margalla hills, north-east of the Shah Faisal mosque on Wednesday 28th July 2010. All 152 dead include 7 children, 29 women and the 6 crew members.

Both, the torrential rain and heavily forested hills made the rescue efforts very difficult. The rescuers made it possible by a 1500 feet vertical climb through the dense brush and slippery boulders.

The familiarity with the trails of the Margalla hills and ground support from Mr. Khalid Shoaib a Geophysicist helped Pakistan Relief’s Emergency Response Team to locate and reach at the scene of disaster within an hour. Each of the ERT members successfully transported a rucksack full of High Angle / Mountain Rescue equipment and medical supplies, weighing 12 to 25 Kilograms.

Soon after arriving at the crash site we observed that almost all the bodies of the passengers were badly mutilated and charred due to the fire which had erupted right after the collision. The monsoon drizzling helped extinguishing the fire but the smoke resulted into poor visibility and suffocation. Body parts of the passengers were found scattered over a radius of about 400 meters.

The First Aid material found to be useless because there were no survivors. There was need of polythene bags and pieces pf cloth to wrap the dead bodies so we transmitted a message through radio to our head office for assistance. Another team took the required stuff and delivered it to the hilltop.

The crash left twisted pieces of metal wreckage hanging from trees and scattered over the inaccessible hilly area. The CDA, 1122, Pakistan Red Crescent staff together with a number of local volunteers kept on collecting pieces of bodies till sunset. Clouds of dense grey smoke billowed from the burning wreckage as a small Army Lama helicopter hovered above. According to experts, this is the worst plane crash ever on Pakistani territory. Military troops as well as Air Force and Navy commandos were also called in to aid the local police and rescuers. Three helicopters of the Army Aviation took part in the rescue operation. A state of emergency was declared in all hospitals of the federal capital and Rawalpindi by the administration to tackle the situation.

Reportedly, the disaster occurred when the plane lost height unexpectedly and collided with the mountain peak, an expert opined. The plane had descended considerably to land at the Islamabad airport, which was some 20 kilometers from the crash scene. Islamabad had received heavy downpour hours before the crash at 9:45 am. Airbus A321 of Air Blue’s flight ED202 took off from Karachi Airport at 7:42 am. The flight reached in time at 9:30 am and the pilot approached the control tower of the Benazir Bhutto International Airport seeking direction for landing, the sources said, adding that due to rough weather, the control tower asked the pilot to make the landing approach from the north side. The pilot followed the instructions and turned in the direction of Margalla hills but suddenly lost contact with the control tower and minutes later it crashed on the hill side. Some residents of Islamabad have witnessed the plane flying on very low altitude near Blue Area and E7 sector prior to disappearing in clouds and crashing.

The relatives of passengers and crewmembers kept crying over the tragedy. Numerous men and women are still waiting at the government hospitals in Islamabad to receive the dead bodies of their relatives and friends. The health officials said they would have to use DNA tests to identify charred bodies plucked from the wreckage of the airliner.

Deutsche Welle joins hands with Pakistan Relief

..... given rights to reprint the DW Urdu and DW Asia Compact’s contents in its news-magazine “ZEEST”. After the GMF- Global Media Forum at Bonn, Germany, in June this year, president of Pakistan Relief Mujtaba Haider Imran was invited to attend a meeting with Mr. Grahame Lucas, Head of Deutsche Welle’s South Asia Service. During the meeting Mr. Lucas and Imran discussed different matters of mutual interest. Mr. Lucas admired the efforts of Pakistan Relief and assured of his cooperation for the enhancement of its humanitarian efforts in future. He informed that “we have a daily programme called "Asia Compact", a 15 minute look at current affairs across Asia. He further said that “we also have a development programme and an environment programme which may interest Pakistan Relief and Wilderness Pakistan. Our Urdu programme has several daily news and current affairs programmes which contain a different background magazine every day on topics like culture, civil society, Germany and Europe, women, Dialogue between East and West, Youth and Science, technology and environment”. Mr. Lucas had invited Pakistan Relief to submit a concept paper regarding the prospects of cooperation, in 2008.

After the meeting Mr. Mujtaba visited Urdu section and met with entire team. In the evening Mr. Lucas again invited all the members of Urdu section at his office for a film show about Pakistan Relief.

Meanwhile Mr.Tobias Grote-Beverborg DW marketing department and Ms. Angelika Newel, Head, Distribution Asia/Australia have also expressed their gratification and best wishes for such a wonderful cooperation between Pakistan Relief and DW. Ms. Angelika mentioned “I am quite confident that our good relations will continue to grow”.

Mr. Mujtaba explained during the meeting that there is an immense need of a Radio Station that may fulfill certain needs of educating the audience in a way of learning with fun and to provide them with real infotainment. He added that “It will be a Non-profit and non political platform to set the new trends and explore new horizons of educating people through Radio transmissions. The proposed Radio station is going to be the first ever dedicated Humanitarian Radio Station of Pakistan. With the passage of time and gradually, we will expand the radius of transmission because we feel like addressing the inhabitants of remote areas of Pakistan, too”. He concluded that “As an integrated part of the entire endeavor of laying down the solid foundations of the Disaster Prevention/Preparedness and Early Warning Mechanism the role of Radio can not be ignored”.

Since many of Pakistan Relief members are radio amateurs, we have been focusing upon Emergency Radio Communication training at PRIDEA- Pakistan Relief Int. Disaster Education Academy as well. We are the only organization that is focusing upon this important field, indeed.

We envisage that this cooperation will certainly help strengthening the bond of friendship between both the nations of Pakistan and Germany. The DW’s marvelous support for a humanitarian cause is being appreciated.

New wave of floodwater threatens Pakistan

Ban Ki-moon: 'I have witnessed many natural disasters around the world, but nothing like this.' Photograph: Mk Chaudhry/EPA
The spectacular remains of a 5,000-year-old city and the grandiose mausoleum where the former prime minister Benazir Bhutto is buried are directly in the path of the rampaging floods in Pakistan, officials have warned.

The floods swallowed up fresh areas of Pakistan over the weekend, as the government said 20 million people were now affected by the disaster. A case of cholera was confirmed, raising the spectre of an outbreak of the disease, with thousands of those affected by the floods showing the symptoms of acute watery diarrhoea.

A new tide of floodwater was reported at Sukkur, in the southern province of Sindh, as the deluge from fresh rain in the north reached lower regions of the country.

Today the president, Asif Ali Zardari, said a two-year campaign was required to deal with the damage, while the United Nations secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, after flying in to visit ravaged areas, said he had never seen such devastation.

"This has been a heart-wrenching day for me. I will never forget the destruction and suffering I have witnessed today. In the past I have witnessed many natural disasters around the world, but nothing like this.

"I'm here to send a message to the world: these unprecedented floods require an unprecedented response. The world must stand with the people of Pakistan."

The floodwaters are now at the town of Larkana, in Sindh, threatening the nearby Bhutto family mausoleum, a huge marble structure topped with domes. Also at risk is the sprawling Mohenjo-daro, one of the largest settlements of the ancient Indus valley civilisation, a Unesco world heritage site built around 2,500BC.

Rediscovered in 1922, Mohenjo-daro was one of the most sophisticated cities of its time. The water is closing in from the river Indus and from a breach in an irrigation canal further north.

The Bhutto mausoleum, which resembles the Taj Mahal and can be seen from miles around, is in the village of Garhi Khuda Bakhsh, a place of political and religious pilgrimage. It contains the remains of Benazir Bhutto, assassinated by Islamic extremists in 2007, her father, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Pakistan's first elected PM who was hanged by a military dictatorship in 1977, and her two murdered brothers.

"Unfortunately the water is going in that direction [towards Garhi Khuda Bakhsh and Mohenjo-daro]," the Sindh provincial irrigation minister, Saifullah Dharejo, said. "We'll try everything possible to save these sites."

Today the flood waters spread further from the Indus, drowning the town of Dera Allah Yar and the surrounding area in the Jaffarabad district of Baluchistan province, which had been inhabited by about 300,000 people. The area was said to be under 6ft of water.

The Dera Allah Yar situation highlighted internal tensions over the floods. There were claims that authorities across the provincial border in Sindh had deliberately diverted water towards Baluchistan, leading to an armed confrontation between officials and tribesmen of the two provinces.

The government and opposition joined hands over the weekend, saying they would put politics aside to fight the calamity together. The move could help stave off rumours that the military is considering intervening to overthrow Zardari's government in the face of the crisis.

A neutral commission is to be set up, headed by people whom the public are expected to have confidence in, to manage the crisis and raise money from within the country. Pakistanis are reluctant to contribute to government-run aid efforts, fearing that the funds will be siphoned off through corruption.

The floods have left 6 million people facing starvation. The UN said 875,000 homes had been damaged or destroyed. Many areas had all their crops washed away. It is thought 1,600 people have been killed. The death toll could rise rapidly from disease and hunger. Anecdotal evidence is surfacing of young children dying from diarrhoea and malnutrition.

Pakistan floods 'heart-wrenching' Ban Ki-moon

The government of Pakistan says up to 20 million people have now been affected by the monsoon floods. At least 1,500 are known to have lost their lives.
Health experts are warning that the threat of epidemics in flood-hit areas is growing rapidly.
"This has been a heart-wrenching day for me and for my delegation," Mr Ban said at a press conference, stood alongside President Zardari.
"I will never forget the destruction and suffering I have witnessed today. In the past I have seen scenes of natural disaster around the world, but nothing like this. The scale of this disaster is so large. So many people in so many places in so much need."
He announced a further $10m from the UN's central emergency response fund, making a total of $27m from the fund so far, and repeated his calls for the international community to come to Pakistan's aid.
"The people of Pakistan need food, emergency shelters, medicines, clean water," he said. "We are all deeply concerned about the spread of diarrhoea and other water-borne diseases. All our combined medical capacity will be needed to provide the right drugs and care."
The flooding began more than two weeks ago in the mountainous north-west of Pakistan and has swept south across a quarter of the country including its agricultural heartland.
The International Monetary Fund has warned that the floods could have dire long-term economic consequences for a country already reliant on foreign aid.
On Wednesday the UN launched a $459m (£294m) appeal for emergency aid for Pakistan. It said that billions of dollars would be needed in the long term.
The US has already donated at least $70m to the country, which is a key regional ally in fighting terrorism.

Other disasters seen by Ban Ki-moon
• 2005 tsunami killed nearly a quarter of a million people in 13 countries
• Earthquake centred in Northern Pakistan and state of Kashmir in 2005 killed more than 79,000 people
• Cyclone Nargis in 2008, killed about 140,000 people in Burma
• Chilean earthquake in February 2010 killed almost 500 people
• Haiti earthquake in January 2010 killed more than 200,000 people
• Earthquake in Qinghai province, China, in April 2010 killed more than 2,000 people

Appeal for Medicines

Water borne diseases are going to be a major threat in next few days. The medicines for Diarrhea, Vomiting, Fever, Malaria and Skin infection etc are required urgently. Especially the Gastrointestinal diseases may cause a huge trouble.

Devastating Floods in Pakistan

Recent floods occurred after heavy monsoon rains in Pakistan. More than 1200 people have been killed, thousands are rendered homeless and 1.6 million have been affected. Our team that returned back from Noshehra, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on 31st July, reported that recent flood is the worst natural disaster in that area since more than 275,000 people have still been stranded there. Many are compelled to stay at the roof tops of their homes due to the fear of another wave of water which has been released from Warsak dam. They are anxiously waiting to be evacuated. Today (1st August) was actually the first day of rescue and relief efforts. Three army helicopters and four small boats were used to evacuate the victims of floods. Those who left their homes during the torrential rains have also been waiting for help at higher places. The routine life has been distressed, enormously since there is no electricity, no clean drinking water or food items are available. Besides those who are trapped in the city have no access to communication too because telephone exchange is out of order and those who have cell phones are unable to recharge the batteries due to absence of electricity. Some people claimed to see dead bodies floating in the streets of flooded Noshehra. A resident of Noshehra named Ajmair Shah lost his daughter during the flood. Most of his belongings and household items has either been destroyed or swept off. He is living out in the open sky for last three days along with 19 other relatives.

Almost 200 families have been provided with temporary shelter at Government College of Technology. Many families narrate the same stories like Ajmair Shah. The philanthropists from the nearby cities like Islamabad, Attock and Rawalpindi started providing them with cooked food this evening for the first time. The majority of affected people have no utensils to obtain food so they used polythene bags. Whilst eating food they have been drinking contaminated flood water. There is an urgent need of Jerry Cans, Tents, Utensils, Mosquito Nets, Clothing and thin Blankets etc.

Besides, there are sick and traumatized children, men and women who need medical care. Since water borne diseases are going to be a major threat in next few days the medicines for Diarrhea, vomiting, fever, Malaria and skin infection etc are required urgently. Especially the Gastrointestinal diseases may cause a huge trouble.

Yesterday and today Pakistan Relief’s medical team treated patients and distributed blankets for the children as well. Another team of Pakistan Relief’s volunteers distributed 700 food packs that were donated by a restaurant owner of Rwalpindi. So far there is no access to the city but as soon as the flow and level of water will decrease we will attempt to get in to intervene. We have a few small
inflatable rafts but those are not suitable to cope with the aggressive current of Kabul River. The boats/Rafts with engines can be of great help to reach people in need.

We intend to set up a medical camp in the vicinity because there will be huge influx of sick people when water level will decrease. Local coordination hub has been established by Pakistan Army at Military College of Signals Risalpur which is just a couple of miles away from Noshehra. According to a Pakistan Army official, Col. Shahjehan, there was a fierce flood in the same area back in 1925 too but that was measured as 170,000 cusecs. This time it has been measured up to 300,000 cusecs.

There are reports of floods in Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan and Kashmir as well.

More Rains in Flooded Pakistan

The current fierce floods in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab provinces have left millions of people helpless. At least 1800 people lost their lives. Hundreds of thousands are rendered homeless. The magnitude of this disaster is enormous. We estimate that at least 4 to 5 million people are affected, directly. The monetary losses have become unbearable for the poor communities.

We are receiving phone calls and letters from our members and public living in different parts of the country. Now, some people start weeping when they explain the tragedy they are going through. The floods have badly affected Swat valley, Noshehra, Charsadda, Azakhel, Layyah, Mianwali, Muzaffargarrh, Rajan Pur so far and reportedly 900,000 cusecs of flood water is moving in Southern Punjab and adjacent Sindh. There are reports of heavy floods in Kashmir too. The Neelum Valley and one of our project areas Gurais Valley is still cut off since we haven't received any report from there.

Due to unhygienic conditions in the affected region and lack of clean drinking water, the symptoms of Cholera, Diarrhea and Skin infection are becoming visible now. If carcasses of the animals remained in the streets the health related problems will intensify in next couple of days.

We have been distributing food items and water purification tablets. There is an urgent need of jerry cans, kitchen utensils, stoves and food items. Furthermore we need more medicines to send medical teams in affected areas. It’s a race against time and with a network of experienced volunteers we can make a real difference.

International and national media is giving due coverage to the current disaster yet there are fewer organizations that are responding in the affected region. There is frustration and anxiety because the losses are enormous and aid given to people in need is like peanuts.

Once again our nation is victim of lack of contingency planning and poor emergency response. An early warning system could have saved precious lives. These floods have reminded that there is immense need of disaster prevention and preparedness both at public and government levels.

Since the current disaster has become out of capacity of local organization we invite international NGOs especially Pakistani Doctors and professional living abroad to extend hand of cooperation.

Another series of rains has started and its going to make the current situation overwhelming. The affected people wonder what they will do in Ramadhan without any food and household items. After these floods people of Pakistan may face crisis of food as crops have also been damaged.

Catastrophe, massive than Tsunami

Pakistan has suffered the worst floods for 80 years and at least 2200 people have been killed with 22 million others affected. The crisis is expected to worsen with the forecast of more heavy rains. According to UN the recent floods in Pakistan have caused a sever damage and the catastrophe has proved to be massive than Tsunami. Renewed rain has been hampering relief efforts after the flood of the century in Pakistan. Mass evacuations are under way in the southern province of Sindh after the Indus River rose there.

The intense flooding that began about two weeks ago has washed away roads, bridges and many communications lines, hampering rescue efforts. Incessant monsoon rains have grounded many helicopters trying to rescue people and ferry aid.

Floodwaters receded somewhat on Friday in the north-west, but downpours again swelled rivers and streams.

Pakistani meteorologist Farooq Dar said heavy rains in Afghanistan were expected to make things even worse over the next 36 hours as the bloated Kabul River surged into Pakistan's north-west. That will likely mean more woes for Punjab and Sindh provinces as well, as new river torrents flow east and south.
The United Nations said at least 15 million people had been affected, including 1.5 million severely, meaning their homes had been damaged or destroyed.
UN and Pakistani officials may put the figure much higher after a detailed assessment.

Pakistan Relief continues distribution of Food and NFIs

...of the first phase of the distribution we started the 2nd phase to address the immediate requirements of the people in need in Balochistan and Sindh. The Balochistan province remained bit neglected since only four NGOs i.e. Lands Aid, Pakistan Relief, Turkish Medical Mission and Agha Khan Hospital were responding in an area where 1.2 million people were affected by the devastating floods, either directly or indirectly. In this regard, we have distributed Quilts, Hygiene Kits, Water Coolers and Kitchen Utensils at district Jafarabad, Balochistan. Almost 4,300 families comprising 24,000 individuals have been benefited.

In the thirds phase another 2500 families are going to receive relief goods till the mid of December, 2010. Since harsh winter is around the corner, tens of thousands of families are still looking forward to have shelter, quilts, blankets, and warm clothing.