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New Pakistan floods hit partner projects
Shifting bedding away from house brought down by the weight of rain water
(Photo: © PEP/Hyderabad Diocese)Severe flooding following torrential rains has hit close to home for CMS partners in Sindh province, Pakistan
Three and a half thousand families in 89 villages have only a few days' supply of food left after homes, crops and livestock were washed away.
That's according to a report made by workers from the Primary Education Project in the Diocese of Hyderabad, where Jane Jerrard has worked for 15 years.
They toured flood hit villages in the areas the project serves from 14–18 August, to assess needs.
"The rains were so heavy that the communities were just able to save their lives, few utensils and clothes only," says Ashley Farooq, author of the team's report.
"The livestock of communities was also affected by the floods in some of the villages and there were two human deaths reported during that survey."
Across the whole province of Sindh, say local news sources, more than 30 people have been killed and one million displaced.
The BBC reports that some 50,000 people have been evacuated to temporary camps in the province.
The area around the home of health workers David and Dawn Curran – who are currently in the UK – is also flooded.
Even those communities who had taken flood prevention measures were hit by the high water levels.
The flooding caused by heavy rains has reportedly been made worse by a breach in the Left Bank Outfall Drain, a huge canal built on the left bank of the Indus river to take away salty water drawn up from underground at times of flooding, whether caused by heavy rains or for irrigation purposes.
The Mirpurkhas, Tando Allahyar, Khawaja Goth and Tando Ghulam Ali (Badin) areas covered by the Primary Education Project were badly affected. The rains also hit the Khipro area and destroyed many crops.
Flood victims are living on the roadsides in makeshift shelters or sleeping in the open air. They need emergency food aid, mosquito nets and clean water. When the Primary Education Project team made their survey, government help had not yet reached these communities.
Ironically, Jane Jerrard told CMS earlier this year, “Every child recently received a mosquito net, a goat for their school and training on health and disaster risk reduction.” However, with so many homes destroyed, most of those nets must now be lost under water.
The Project has started more than 100 'Village LEAP' schools in villages in Sindh in the last 15 years. This programme takes a wide approach to education – involving the whole community, so it is natural that the team were among the first to respond to the needs of the villages where schools are located.
They are now working to supply the desperately needed mosquito nets and clean water.
CMS Britain has supported the work with a small grant made this week. If you would like to donate to support this local response by Pakistani Christians, please use the buttons below.
Published: 16:52 22 August 2011 | 1204 viewsLast updated: 20 September 2011 See other stories in these categories: Featured News Stories, Disaster relief, NEWS, All News and Views, Pakistan, Asia
