Floods in Pakistan: Handicap International opens two bases in the worst hit areas

Montréal, September 9, 2010 – Handicap International has opened two new bases in Pakistan to deliver emergency aid to the worst-affected populations, following the severe flooding which has devastated the country since 1st August. According to the UN, 18 million people have been affected by the floods, which represent more than half of the Canadian population.

So far, more than 115,000 people have benefited from Handicap International’s emergency activities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, northwest Pakistan. We are now expanding our operations through two new bases, one in Sindh province in the south of the country, and one in the district of Tank (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa).

Handicap International’s new base in Sindh province is located in the district of Thatta, near Karachi. The situation in the region is very precarious and so far the people of Sindh have received little emergency relief, as few organisations are currently operating there.

“Our new base in Sindh allows us to provide access to clean drinking water to the many displaced people in the region who are waiting to return home”, explains Stéphane Lobjois, Head of Mission in Pakistan for Handicap International. “Many of them will find little of their previous life left behind. It’s also vital to take action to limit the spread of epidemics. These people are the last to be affected by the wave of floodwater as it moves towards the sea.”

Since the floods struck northwest Pakistan, Handicap International has been providing emergency relief in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, particularly in the cities of Kohat and Mingora, the district of Swat, and in rural areas. In the same province, the district of Tank has been particularly badly hit and our new base there will allow us to help the population in this area, who are in urgent need of support.

• Providing access to drinking water for 330,000 people in the short term. We are making regular deliveries using water trucks, and we are also in the process of handing out 1 million Aquatabs ® (water purification tablets).

• Distributing emergency kits. So far, kits have been distributed to 3,000 families identified as being particularly vulnerable, enabling them to process and store water, to wash and to cook.

• A ‘cash for work’ project, involving local people in clearing away the waste and debris left behind by the floods, and removing stagnant water from towns, enabling the population to return to the area and limiting the spread of disease.

As winter arrives and the weather starts to get colder, Handicap International is planning the distribution of cold-weather survival kits, containing blankets and warm clothing, to displaced populations.