Pakistan floods force half of camps to close

Plan is continuing its emergency relief efforts in Pakistan as rising flood waters force half of the camps set up for displaced people to be abandoned.

Emergency camps are being moved to higher grounds wherever possible, but other sites, many of them used in the 2005 floods, have been vacated as they are no longer safe.

Rains continue to fall throughout the country, with flood waters now reaching Sindh. Fears of reservoirs and canals overflowing have caused more than 500,000 people to be evacuated from Sindh and the Punjab district of Muzaffargarh.

To date, 4.5 million people have been affected by the floods.

Emergency aid delivered

Plan was able to distribute aid, including food, water and health kits, to thousands of families in Muzaffargarh before authorities evacuated the city. Plan teams have now joined the movement of thousands north and relocated to Multan. Many of these people had already fled the devastated Punjab areas including Layyah, Rajanpur and Kot Addu.

“Most people are now on the road,” said acting Country Director of Plan in Pakistan, Rashid Javed. “Around 50% of camps are no longer safe. People have had to evacuate in emergency, now more than 80% of them are living outside camps, on road sides, high ground, wherever they can.”

Plan is addressing the shelter needs of these displaced populations through the provision of large community-sized tents. 25 have been dispatched already, with 50 more to reach higher grounds in the next 2 days. Plan will also continue to focus on the distribution of cooked meals, children’s food packs, and health and hygiene kits.

Aid for babies and expectant mothers

Plan has begun distributing “Newborn Baby and Expectant Mother” health kits to meet the needs of babies and pregnant women affected by the floods. Kits include clean delivery kits, flyers on breast feeding, cloth diapers, rash cream, folic acid and calcium tabs and milk for lactating mothers.

Community tents will also help address the lack of privacy for women and girls living in camps.

Information for sponsors

We will contact sponsors directly if we receive any news about individual sponsored children. If you are planning a visit or have any particular concerns around this issue, please contact our Donor Relations staff at donorrelations@planusa.org or at 1-800-556-7918.

Donate today to provide immediate relief to children and families affected by floods in Pakistan.