Pakistan – Monsoon Flash Floods

BACKGROUND

Since July 21, heavy monsoon rains have swept through large areas of Pakistan, causing unprecedented flash floods that submerged homes, roads, bridges and cropland. The rains, which now affect more than 70% of the country, have led to widespread displacement, infrastructure damage and contamination of water sources.

KEY DEVELOPMENTS

• The worst floods to hit Pakistan in decades have so far affected an estimated 17 million people which accounts for almost one in every ten Pakistanis. More than 820,000 people have been rescued and the latest assessments estimate that more than 1.2 million homes have been damaged or destroyed.
• The second wave of flooding is moving southward and has affected Sindh province causing further evacuations and displacement.
• Thousands of Pakistan Red Crescent Society volunteers continue to distribute relief items. The Pakistan Red Crescent Society has reached nearly 400,000 people with food and relief supplies, provided medical care to more than 47,000 people, and water and sanitation services to 42,000.
• On August 24, 2010 the American Red Cross increased its commitment to $5 million in support of the Pakistan relief operation, to include relief supplies and financial assistance towards the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (International Federation) appeal. As a part of this it is also providing two disaster specialists to support the Pakistan Red Crescent response.

NUMBERS AT A GLANCE

CURRENT SITUATION

Damage and Affected Areas

• Pakistan is now in its fifth week of heavy monsoon flooding, and the Sindh province in the southernmost part of Pakistan is now the most affected province. Hundreds of thousands have fled in recent days as mass government evacuation efforts continue.
• Provinces throughout the Indus River Valley have been impacted. The Pakistan National Disaster Management Authority reports that floods have affected 71 of Pakistan’s 122 districts, and approximately half of the affected population requires humanitarian assistance.
• In the northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province which was hit early on, flood waters are receding and relief assistance is now reaching previously inaccessible areas.
• Floodwaters have submerged homes, roads, bridges, agricultural land and public infrastructure in affected provinces. Along with continued heavy rains, damage and conflict in some areas has made it difficult to reach affected populations and has isolated many communities.

Shelter and Relief

• Emergency shelter remains a critical priority for flood-affected populations. Assessments by the Pakistan National Disaster Management Authority indicate that more than 1.2 million homes have been damaged or destroyed as of August 23. According to the UN, Punjab and Sindh provinces have the highest number of destroyed houses.
• Authorities in Sindh province report more than 1,800 relief camps and makeshift settlements housing more than 700,000 people. UN assessments indicate that while local district authorities are providing cooked food in some locations, shelter, health, and water and sanitation services are minimal.
• To date, relief agencies have distributed more than 109,500 tents and 72,200 units of plastic sheeting to more than 873,000 people.

Food and Agriculture

• The UN reports at least 7.9 million acres of crops have so far been damaged or destroyed across the country. Loss of draught animal power and household supplies of seeds, as well as damage to agricultural land and infrastructure, has crippled farmers’ production capacity for the upcoming September-October planting season. If farming inputs are not provided in time for the key wheat-planting season, the impact on agricultural livelihoods and household food security could be catastrophic, last well into 2012, and entail a longer requirement for food assistance.

Water and Sanitation

• Flood waters have contaminated clean water sources, posing a growing health hazard. Ensuring access to safe drinking water is a major concern.
• According to the UN, approximately 2 million individuals are being provided with safe drinking water through the repair of 500 water supply lines and water trucking in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh and Punjab provinces. According to the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) cluster, 75,000 hygiene kits, jerry cans and buckets have been distributed by cluster partners, benefitting around 500,000 individuals.,
• Due to the large number of people affected and logistics constraints, insufficient numbers of latrines have been established, posing major sanitation concerns for displaced people.

Health

• The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that acute diarrhea, acute respiratory infections, skin diseases and suspected cases of malaria remain the major causes of seeking healthcare in flood- affected districts
• Access to healthcare is a major challenge, with a particular need reported for diarrhea treatment and points where people can access clean, safe drinking water.
• There is an urgent need to restore health facilities damaged or destroyed by the floods. Assessments in four flood-affected provinces show that 200 out of 1,167 health facilities are damaged, including several hospitals.
• The health cluster response strategy includes communicable disease control, disease early warning systems, provision of essential medicines, environmental health measures and support of medical teams for life-saving services.

RED CROSS AND RED CRESCENT MOVEMENT RESPONSE

Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS)

• The Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS) continues to respond in all affected provinces, distributing food and emergency relief supplies to nearly 400,000 people, and water and sanitation services to 42,000 people, as well as continuing to perform needs assessments.
• Through their 25 mobile medical units, the PRCS has provided emergency health services to more than 47,000 patients in affected areas.
• The PRCS is leading the global Red Cross/Red Crescent movement response in Pakistan with support from the International Federation and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)

International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (International Federation)

• The International Federation has increased its appeal to $72.5 million to help PRCS assist 900,000 people (130,000 families) for nine months. Activities will include the provision of food, relief items, and shelter, as well as health and water and sanitation services. This is in addition to the initial $239,406 it provided from its Disaster Relief Emergency Fund.
• The International Federation has also deployed seven Emergency Response Units (ERUs): two relief ERUs from the Danish and Belgium/Netherlands/Luxembourg Red Cross national societies (joint ERU) and the French Red Cross; two logistics ERUs from the Danish/Finnish Red Cross and British Red Cross national societies; and four Water and Sanitation ERUs from Austria, Swiss, Spanish and German Red Cross national societies.
• The International Federation is supporting the PRCS relief efforts in all districts of Gilgit Baltisan, Sindh and Punjab provinces. In the provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Pakistan-administered Azad Jammu and Kashmir, the International Federation and the ICRC have divided responsibilities, based on the security situation.
• Additionally, several other national societies are providing support, such as relief supplies, medicines food parcels and personnel to the combined Red Cross and Red Crescent response effort.
  International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
• The ICRC is supporting PRCS in areas where conflict might complicate the delivery of assistance, including parts of Baluchistan, Federally Administered Tribal Areas and parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, through the provision of food, relief items and shelter, as well as health and water and sanitation services.
• The joint ICRC and PRCS relief operation has expanded into southern Pakistan, where aid was distributed to 14,000 people in Punjab and a delivery of one-month food rations to 42,000 people in Sindh is being prepared. This brings the number of flood victims who have received ICRC-provided one-month food rations from the PRCS to more than 200,000. A further 125,000 people have received shelter and household items, and food distributions continue in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
• As floodwaters recede in the northwest provinces, ICRC water engineers and their PRCS counterparts are providing access to clean drinking water, either by sanitizing existing supplies or by re-drilling boreholes.
• The ICRC is providing support for PRCS healthcare units, diarrhea treatment units and a number of district hospitals offering services to flood victims.

American Red Cross

• The American Red Cross has now committed $5 million to the Pakistan response. This includes nearly $1 million in relief supplies from its two regional warehouses in Dubai and Kuala Lumpur as well as cash support to the International Federation.
• This support also includes two disaster specialists to coordinate relief distributions in the response effort to join the PRCS and other Emergency Response Unit teams on the ground.
• The American Red Cross is monitoring the situation and stands ready to provide additional support as the situation develops.

UNITED NATIONS AND GOVERNMENT RESPONSE

United Nations

• The UN-led cluster system has been activated for response in Pakistan. Additional information can be found on www.pakresponse.info.
• WHO and UNICEF are providing support and medical supplies to the provincial and district health authorities while monitoring potential disease outbreaks.
• UNHCR continues to airlift tons of supplies and equipment to affected areas for distribution, and has set up three shelter relief distribution hubs.

Government of Pakistan

The National Disaster Management Authority continues to perform damage and needs assessments and to coordinate activity. In addition to distributing relief stocks, it has requested international assistance to help with further needs.

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Chapter Newsletter Archive
Spring 2010	Summer 2010


“Heat Wave” over? “Heat Wave” still coming? Who knows? Fire Danger always present.