More than a month into the recent monsoonal floods in Pakistan, floodwaters continue to flow southwards, engulfing and washing away entire villages and displacing millions of people. By September 6th, more than 350,000 people had to flee their hometowns because of fresh flooding. More than one-fifth of the country is now underwater, and the flooding hasn’t stopped yet. It is estimated that the floods have taken more than 1,600 lives and affected more than 20 million people. The death toll, according to UN agencies, is expected to rise sharply with the inevitable spread of water-borne diseases. While more than 6 million people need immediate life-saving humanitarian assistance, many others will continue to require assistance in coming months. Just consider a few more details: so far, more than 1.2 million homes have been destroyed; an estimated 8 million people rendered homeless; millions are at risk from disease or shortage of food and water; more than 9000 schools and 400 health facilities have been damaged or destroyed; and considering that Pakistan is an agricultural country, the loss of 1.2 million livestock so far and the destruction of more than 15 percent of the currently cultivated land adds to the hardship of the flood affectees.
Pakistan is facing a slow-motion tsunami. Its destructive power will accumulate and grow with time… Make no mistake: this is a global disaster, a global challenge. It is one of the greatest tests of global solidarity in our times.
-UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, 19 Aug. 2010
Local and international groups have been working hard to help Pakistanis who have been affected by the disaster. The Pakistani government alone does not have the resources and infrastructure to deal with a disaster of this magnitude, and the international community has been slow with providing aid to the country. The need for assistance is definitely immediate, but it will continue into the months to follow as people need to move back to their towns and villages, homes and infrastructure needs to be rebuilt, medicines need to be provided, and people have to deal with the loss of their crops and make their lands cultivatable again.
Students at the University of Massachusetts, the Graduate Employee Organization, and the American Friends Service Committee are thus urging residents of the pioneer valley to donate generously to flood relief efforts in Pakistan. We are also asking local businesses to donate at least 2 percent of their sales for Saturday, October 16th for flood relief efforts in Pakistan.
Below is a list of trusted organizations in Pakistan that we recommend for making your donations:
Edhi Foundation
For Donations, please contact the NY office:
USA Edhi international Foundation.
42-07 National street
Corona, New York, 11368 USA
Tel: (718) 639-5120
Fax: (718) 335-1978
Toll Free# 1-888-899-EDHI (3344)
Sungi Development Foundation
Bank Account Title: Sungi Development Foundation,
Account #: 412-2
Branch Code: 0585
Swift Code: MUCBPKKA
Online transfer code: 058512020004122
MCB Star Branch, Abbottabad, Pakistan
Contact person:
Ms. Saima Jamil
Finance Officer, Liaison Office
Sungi Development Foundation
No. 11, Street No. 15, G-7/2, Islamabad.
Ph: +92 51 2891184-5
Fax: +92 51 2891180
Aitemaad Trust
43/2/J, Block 6, PECHS, Karachi, Pakistan
E mail: aitemaad@gmail.com
Bank Account Title: Aitemaad Pakistan Trust
Account #: 0107-036-1914
Swift: MEZNPKKA
Meezan Bank, Clifton, Karachi, Pakistan
Contact persons:
Zubair Habib (+92-300-8260409)
Younus Dagha (+92-300-2021252)
Naeem Sadiq (+92-333-351-8539)
Fazil Bharucha (+92-300-8221282)
Dr. Samrina Hashmi (+92-333 2347623)