Pakistan floods: two years on
In the two years since we launched our Pakistan Floods appeal, you’ve raised nearly three million pounds, helping us reach more than 365,000 people.
Help us respond to future emergencies as soon as they happen>>
At the end of July 2010, torrential monsoon rains inundated huge swathes of Pakistan, leaving one fifth of the country underwater. Thousands of people were killed and more than 18 million were affected. New floods in 2011 caused further devastation.
Thanks to your support, we have provided:
- Food, clean water and emergency household kits
- Shelter for people who lost their homes
- Emergency healthcare
- “Cash-for-work” projects: people who’ve lost everything have rebuilt houses, roads, irrigation systems and schools in return for money to cover basic needs
- Long-term support to help people make a living
- Training to help villages prepare for future disasters
Water as far as the eye could see
CAFOD’s Monika Vrsanska said: “I’ll never forget driving through Sindh Province in 2011. For miles, there was nothing but water as far as the eye could see. In towns and villages, people were struggling to move around, up to their waists in water. Families who’d been forced from their homes were living in makeshift tents by the side of the road.
“Thanks to the remarkable compassion of the Catholic community in England and Wales, our local partners responded quickly in both 2010 and 2011. But the sheer scale of the flooding was enormous, and it will take years for people to recover. We’re helping families who lost everything to make a living again, for example by starting new businesses or by rearing goats. And because it’s likely that there’ll be more floods in the future, we’re supporting communities in developing plans and early warning systems, so they’ll be much better prepared if disaster strikes again.”
Thank you so much for supporting our Pakistan Floods appeal. Please keep the people of Pakistan in your thoughts and prayers.
