Faced with the distress in Pakistan, Handicap International is reinforcing its activities on the ground.

Six months after the floods began, the situation remains very serious: 20 million people have been affected – around two third of the Canadian population. Currently, 170,000 people are still living in camps, not counting those people who, having returned to their villages, are also living in makeshift shelters such as tents pitched on the roadside. The Pakistani population continues to feel the severe impact of the flooding, with serious shortages of food and supplies, limited access to medical care, and an economy to rebuild.

The needs remain considerable: according to the Pakistani government, more than 109,000 hectares of land remain underwater in Sindh, the worst affected province. The population is still being subjected to precarious living conditions, made worse by the cold winter weather. Seven million flood victims remain in need of water, sanitation and hygiene services (WASH) . “It is crucial that Handicap International continues to take action in Pakistan”, explains Stéphane Lobjois, Head of Mission in Pakistan. “The emergency is still not behind us, even though this crisis is not making headlines. That’s why we are committed, more than ever, to supporting the Pakistani people”.

Since 2nd August 2010, Handicap International has already provided support to more than 250,000 flood victims in Pakistan. Our team of 500 people, including 20 expatriates, is continuing to take action on the ground. Handicap International has developed a multidisciplinary response to the crisis, allowing us to focus on improving the living conditions of flood victims in the provinces of Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, both of which remain severely affected. With regard to drinking water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), Handicap International has installed seven water treatment units, capable of producing drinking water for 150,000 people at 5 litres of water per person per day. More than 150 water distribution points and pumps have also been installed, proving access to drinking water for populations affected by the floods.

As part of the plan to improve sanitation, a clean-up project has been set up in the districts of Hangu, Swat and Kohat (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province) and Thatta (Sindh province). This has brought together the local population to take part in clearing up rubbish and debris carried along by the flooding as well as removing stagnant water from towns, in order to allow the return of the population and limit the spread of disease. More than 200 temporary latrines have also been constructed in Sindh, in a workshop where more than 40% of the workers are people with disabilities.

In terms of hygiene, we have distributed 19,000 emergency and hygiene kits. These kits allow families to treat and store water, to wash and cook. 37,000 people have already benefited from sessions raising awareness about the importance of good hygiene.

In the case of healthcare and assistance for vulnerable people, we have set up two ‘Disability Focal Points’ and 13 mobile teams, to support disabled and vulnerable people in their communities. More than 700 people have also benefitted from psychosocial support activities. Finally, Handicap International has constructed or repaired 250 homes.

From the 1st August 2010, Handicap International, present in Pakistan since 2005, launched an emergency mission in coordination with other actors on the ground. Our organization took the risk of pledging 136,000 Dollars of funding to ensure that immediate action could be taken. Along with the response to the disaster in Haiti, the emergency programme deployed in Pakistan has made 2010 a pivotal year for our organisation. In order to be able to continue to extend help to the most vulnerable people, Handicap International is relying on the support of everyone.