IRC Providing Assistance to Pakistan After Flooding

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is on the ground providing aid to victims of the worst flooding in Pakistan's modern history. At least 1,400 people have been killed and three million people have been affected by the devastating monsoon rain. The heavy rains have continued this week, making it extremely difficult for relief workers to reach the affected areas. IRC teams on the ground report that large areas of northwestern Pakistan have suffered extensive damage with entire villages, roads, bridges and dams washed away in the deluge. The communication infrastructure has also been destroyed, effectively cutting off towns and villages from the outside world.

Active in 11 districts across northwestern Pakistan, the IRC is currently focusing its relief efforts in the areas most impacted by the flood: Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Noweshera, Charsadda, Swat, and Dir. Given the additional rains expected in the coming weeks, the Ramadan holiday fast approaching in mid-August, and the winter months beginning in November-which will all limit the potential for access to areas affected by this crisis-the IRC is working quickly to provide immediate relief. Support from donors like you will allow the IRC to address the most urgent unmet needs of communities and families affected by the floods through water, sanitation, and hygiene interventions; the distribution of essential household items; and shelter.

Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene

When a disaster strikes, a lack of clean water, sanitation, and secure living conditions makes people highly susceptible to disease and death. During humanitarian emergencies, mortality rates can be as high as 60 times the norm. Nearly 70% of excess deaths in an emergency are due to preventable diseases such as malaria, cholera, diarrheal disease, and malnutrition.

The flooding in Pakistan has directly impacted clean water sources in the area, greatly increasing the risk of disease. IRC staff on the ground are already reporting widespread cases of diarrhea and gastrointestinal problems in the affected areas. In response, the IRC will distribute hygiene kits that include bathing and laundry soap, jerry cans, towels, and tools for cleaning household water, including chlorination tablets and water filters. IRC staff will also provide training to ensure that households are utilizing water purification tools appropriately and have the proper information to reduce the spread of disease.

The efforts to ensure a safe water supply will extend beyond households into the greater water systems. The IRC will work to rehabilitate and rebuild water sources in the affected communities. These activities will include installing or repairing handpumps, wells, water towers, and tanks. In addition, we will complement these greater water system repairs by creating Water Management Committees within communities to oversee water system maintenance and address repairs as necessary. The Swat River will also require pumping, sediment filtering, and chlorination to meet the clean water needs of the surrounding areas.

Non-Food Item Distribution

Violent conflict or disaster often compromises a community's normal means of accessing food and other items essential to survival. In the wake of an emergency, it is critical that the affected population receives adequate nutrition and essential supplies to preserve and promote their health, wellbeing, and dignity. When conducting distributions, the IRC is careful to ensure equitable and accessible distribution systems for all groups.

The IRC will distribute kits with a range of items to assist families that have lost their daily household goods in the flood. Items include cooking pots and utensils, water jugs, bed nets, tarps, floor mats, and quilts, among other items. In addition, the IRC plans to distribute monsoon toolkits to families, which will contain a shovel, spade, rope, and rubber boots to wade through the inches of monsoon rain covering the areas.

Funding Need

With a robust on-the-ground network of local partners and decades of experience responding to emergencies in Pakistan, the IRC is well-positioned to respond. Support from donors like you will allow the IRC to meet the immediate emergency needs of those affected by this devastating flood.

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The IRC in Pakistan

The IRC began its work in Pakistan to help millions of Afghan refugees in the aftermath of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1980. Since then we have been assisting refugees as well as host communities in the North-West Frontier Province. In 2005, IRC emergency teams aided more than 230,000 survivors of the devastating earthquake that struck the region. In May 2009, the IRC provided emergency relief during the massive displacement that resulted from fighting between the Pakistani government and Taliban militants in many of the same areas devastated by the flood.

The IRC is the only international humanitarian relief organization that has reached the remote, upper areas of Swat valley and established operations to respond to emerging needs. Currently, the IRC is implementing projects in Buner, Charsadda, D.I. Khan, Lower Dir, Hangu, Kohat, Mardan, Noweshera, Peshawar, Swat, and Tank. As part of our programming in these areas, we have established Rapid Action Committees (RACs) to design and implement community-led projects and distributions. With these committees already in place, the IRC will be able to mobilize distributions quickly and efficiently to those in need.