Save The Children Increases Efforts To Reach Families Stranded By Record Monsoons In Pakistan

Save the Children deployed its rapid response team to the worst-affected and hardest to reach communities in Pakistan's Swat Valley, where record-breaking monsoon rains have triggered deadly floods and mudslides. The team had to navigate the rushing waters using rafts linked to ropes and pulleys in order to distribute temporary shelters and supplies to stranded children and their families.



The Information Minister of the worst affected province of Khyber
Pakthunkhwa, Mian Ifthikar Hussain, estimates 1,500 have been killed
by the floods nationwide. Now, officials fear an outbreak of disease
among the millions left homeless and without clean water supplies.



"In nearly all the flood-affected areas, water supplies have been
contaminated," said Annie Foster, Save the Children's associate vice
president for humanitarian response. "There are confirmed reports of
diarrhea and cholera that may spread rapidly among the hundreds of
thousands who have lost their homes. In this type of environment,
children -- especially those under five years of age -- are the most
vulnerable to severe illness and even death."



Save the Children sent mobile health teams to provide emergency
medical aid to treat more than 1,400 people in DI Khan, Buner and the
Swat Valley area. The teams travelled by boat and often had to hike
many kilometers to remote villages, where roads and bridges had been
washed away.



The floods are now heading towards Muzaffargarh, Layyah and DG Khan
and Rajanpur, in Punjab. Heavy rains predicted for the first two
weeks of August are expected to increase the difficulty of delivering
humanitarian aid.



"People are stranded and are rapidly using up their supplies of
stored food," said Foster. "There is a critical need to get more
clean water, food and medical assistance to thousands of children and
their families in the next few days."



Save the Children has been working with the children of Pakistan and
their families for more than 30 years, and provided assistance to
those affected by Tropical Storm Phet in June, the conflict in
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province in 2009 and the massive earthquake in
2005.



Donate Now to the Pakistan Children in Emergency Fund or call (800)
728-3843.



Source:

Save the Children