PAKISTAN FLOODS: 15 million souls on the move
earthquake in Haiti. The comparison helps frame the scale of the crisis, the worse in Pakistan’s history. A mass exodus of displaced people are moving slowly to safer places. Hunger, disease, depression and a feeling of doom their constant companions. As the world waits to extend its help , millions die due to hunger , thirst and disease.” Dr. Talat Pasha, APD IGU
The UN has estimated that the region’s worst flooding in 80 years has affected at least 15 million out of Pakistan’s 180 million population and killed 1,600; and the figures rise daily. The water is still flowing south and it is expected to affect many more parts of Pakistan.
£2,000 was sent urgently from the SIGBI Emergency Relief Fund to the International Committee of the Red Cross and letters of sympathy have been received from the Presidents of SI, SI/A and SIE. International President Hanne wrote in the early stages of the floods “I have seen in the media that until now 1400 people have died and that the lives of more than 3 million people are affected by this catastrophe.
Our thoughts go to the Soroptimists in Pakistan and also to all women and girls in the flooded areas.
I hope that the Soroptimist world will be able to give their support in rebuilding the societies in this country, which already for a long time suffers from great instability”.
Pakistan is part of our Federation and Federation Programme Director Hilary
Ratcliffe has been able to keep in contact with Talat Pasha, of SI Karachi Central who is also the Federation’s Assistant Programme Director for International Goodwill and Understanding. Talat said “It has been a very bad time for all and the situation is still not under control. The weather is not helping and the flood waters are moving towards Sindh where Karachi is located. The north of Pakistan is already facing devastation and we are now bracing for a worsening of the situation in the south as well. Your support means a lot to us and the members of SI clubs of Pakistan.”
Our partners UNICEF have also asked for donations to support their work with children, who are particularly vulnerable in the wake of the floods. Clubs can download the UNICEF Emergency fundraising pack from their website:
www.unicef.org. uk/emergencyfundraising or order one by calling the Helpdesk on 0844 801 2414. Clubs can also donate online by visiting www.
unicef.org.uk/Pakistansoroptimists Helen Shaw of UNICEF says “Together with our partners, UNICEF has already set up 24
Soroptimist News SEPTEMBER 2010 17
medical camps in the affected areas, benefiting around one million people. These camps are providing medical support to affected families, including antenatal care and immunisation against measles and tetanus. We are also providing water kits and educating families with health and hygiene messages
to help prevent outbreaks of disease”. There will be a clear need for longer term support and Clubs may wish to contribute on an ongoing basis to the above. In doing so we will be helping to meet our Programme Focus Objective “Meet the needs of women and girls during and after armed conflicts and disasters”.
Members and Clubs can help by contributing through SIGBI’s Emergency Relief Fund. Donations can be made by clicking on the Emergency Relief Fund line in the bottom right hand box of the Home page of the SIGBI website
http://soroptimist-gbi.org which takes you directly to the Paypal point.
the combined total of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, 2005 Kashmir earthquake and 2010
Pakistan exceeds 14 million- more than
people suffering from floods in
“The number of
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