ASSOCIATION FOR COMMUNAL HARMONY IN ASIA (ACHA)
www.asiapeace.org & www.indiapakistanpeace.org
PAKISTAN FLOODS 2011
Torrential rains and major floods have devastated parts of Sindh Province of Pakistan, which had not fully recovered yet from the havoc caused by a similar disaster in 2010.
Hundreds of villages have been submerged in the waters, and thousands of homes have been utterly destroyed. Close to 300 individuals have been killed, and another 200,000 have been rendered homeless. Also crops have suffered damage, and livestock is perishing due to disease and lack of fodder.
According to an October 2 appeal by the United Nations, about five million people have been affected. Lack of drinking water, poor sanitation, and water-borne diseases threaten the health and safety of survivors.
According to a Ravi Foundation report, minorities, particularly Hindus, most of who are Dalits and mainly employed in low-class menial occupations, are being discriminated against by some of the local relief agencies. Often they are not allowed in the relief camps, and are forced to live in the open, along the roads. Even President Zardari has mentioned the problem in one of his recent statements.
Relief agencies are running out of resources to assist the flood victims. More information about the horrific situation is contained in the news reports cited below.
If you can, please help. You can make a tax-deductible donation to any of the reputable Relief Organizations listed below. To most of them you can donate online. Please be sure to specify to the organization of your choice, the purpose of you donation, e.g. Pakistan Flood Relief.
Ravi Foundation (listed below) has been active in flood relief since 2010. Kids Against Hunger, a U.S.-based organization has agreed to donate to it another container of 40 feet containing 285120 meals. However shipment charges have to be borne by Ravi Foundation.
To help Ravi Foundation, you can send a check or money order directly to it. Or, in USA, you can send a check made out to ACHA, and mail it to ACHA, 4410 Verda Lane NE, Keizer, OR. We will send all the funds thus collected to Ravi Foundation.
Relief Organizations
*International Federation of Red Cross & Red Crescent Societies
*UNICEF USA Fund
https://secure.unicefusa.org/site/Donation2?df_id=8320&8320.donation=form1
*Islamic Relief Worldwide
http://www.islamic-relief.com/NewsRoom/4-430-pakistan-floods-2011.aspx
*Mercy Corps, Portland, OR
http://www.mercycorps.org/countries/pakistan
*Ravi Foundation
Harmony House, P-85 Mubarakbad Colony, Shorekot Rd, Toba Tek Singh, 36050, Pakistan Email ashfaq.fateh@gmail.com
News Reports
*UN again sends SOS for the flood-hit, SAMN, October 2, 2011
http://southasianmedia.net/Test21/DetailPage.aspx?StoryID=43339
*WFP Operational Update Pakistan Floods Emergency, Relief Web, 30 Sep 2011
http://reliefweb.int/node/450054
*Pakistan flooding leaves hundreds of thousands homeless, Washington Post, Sept 14, 2011
*Pakistan's flood victims save what they can, Reuters, September 14, 2011
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/09/14/us-pakistan-floods-idUSTRE78D3A920110914
*Pakistan's Floods: Deja Vu, All Over Again, Time, September 14, 2011
http://globalspin.blogs.time.com/2011/09/14/pakistans-floods-deja-vu-all-over-again/
*Pakistan floods: Oxfam launches emergency aid response, BBC, September 14, 2011
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-14923154
*Pakistan Floods 2011: Hundreds Killed, 200,000 Homeless, Huffington Post, Sept 13, 2011
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/13/pakistan-floods-2011_n_960509.html
Gratefully yours,
Pritam
Pritam K. Rohila, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Association for Communal Harmony in Asia (ACHA)
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