Emergencies

The monsoon rains that have lashed Pakistan since the end of July 2010 have caused the worst flooding seen in the country since 1929. The northwest region of the country, particularly the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, was the first area affected. In 2009, in the same region, more than 3 million people were forced to leave their villages to escape fighting between the Pakistani army and the Taliban. Handicap International has launched an emergency response to help the most vulnerable people affected by the devastating flooding.

At the beginning of August the situation deteriorated within days as the flooding spread to two other major agricultural provinces, the Punjab and Singh, both densely populated.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimates that 20 million people have been affected by the flooding, 300,000 homes have been destroyed, and more than 1,500 people have been killed.

The main short-term threat facing flood victims is the outbreak of epidemics, particularly cholera. Access to drinking water also poses a major challenge.

It is also extremely difficult to access victims in areas where infrastructure, bridges, and roads have been largely damaged or destroyed.

Over the mid- to long-term, the population will be hit hard by the harvest failure due to the destruction of local crops.

Handicap International has been present in Pakistan since 2005, following the deadly earthquake that killed 73,000 people and seriously injured 69,000 others. Since 2009, the association has been providing emergency relief to persons displaced by fighting between the Pakistani army and the Taliban.

On 2 August, Handicap International decided to release $135,000.
in general funds for the immediate launch of emergency response to the flooding, which it followed with a fundraising and campaign appeal on 12 August to raise sufficient funds for its emergency response. By 19 August, the association had provided 30,000 people with emergency aid (drinking water, emergency packs, clearance operations, etc.), but the needs of the population remains in desperate need of aid as the emergency continues.

Three weeks after the flooding began, the situation remains extremely precarious: “The victims have the same needs now as they did three weeks ago - water, food, shelter and sanitary equipment,” says Stéphane Lobjois, head of mission in Pakistan. “This is still an emergency situation and people’s needs are very basic”.

Handicap International has built up extensive expertise in crisis situations, following its work in El Salvador and India (2001), Iran (2004), China (2008), Indonesia (2005 and 2009), Haiti (2010), and also in Pakistan (2005 and 2009). The association provides direct aid to the most severely affected victims. To ensure the most vulnerable, the elderly, pregnant women and people with disabilities are able to access responsive and sustainable aid, Handicap International is setting up local facilities - Disability and Vulnerable Focal Points - located close to population centres. These focal points help identify the most vulnerable people and offer care, walking aids and emergency packs.

Since a major earthquake hit Haiti on 12 January 2010, Handicap International has deployed significant resources in the country in support of its team, which was already present in the field.

On 26 January 2010, the UN entrusted Handicap International, the German organisation CBM (Christian Blind Mission) and the Haitian Secretariat of State for People with Disabilities with jointly coordinating all activity in Haiti concerning the rehabilitation of injured persons, the fitting of orthopaedic devices and the provision of assistance to people with disabilities.

Handicap International is organising the coordination of international aid operators, while the CBM is coordinating Haitian organisations working in these fields, under the general coordination by the WHO of the “health” cluster.

Health
The association has deployed mobile teams in various neighbourhoods and hospitals in Haiti to provide support to the injured. It is setting up focal points to ensure the most vulnerable groups are able to access aid. A temporary artificial limb production workshop is expected to open in early March to provide several hundred amputees with emergency orthopaedic materials.

Delivery of humanitarian aid
Our team of logisticians is also managing an inter-agency fleet of some fifty off-road lorries.

Support for the local population
Handicap International is also involved in distributing emergency kits and setting up temporary shelters for those affected by the disaster.

The association is operating in the sectors of Port-au-Prince, Cap Haïtien, Gonaïves, Jacmel and Petit-Goâve.