https://www.hopeww.org/NetCommunity/SSLPage.aspx?pid=191
Dear Friends and Supporters,
I am writing
you from Islamabad, Pakistan. I am here assessing ways in which HOPE
worldwide can help in the relief and reconstruction from one of the
world's worst flood disasters. The migration of people in this past
month is said to be greater even that the migration that took place at
the time of partition. Millions of people have been displaced from
their homes and facing suffering at an astounding degree. Many of you
have helped out our work in Afghanistan in the past. I would like to
request that you help out with our work in Pakistan as well. Please
see the attached report on what I have seen so far. Thank you so much.
Sincerely,
DANIEL R. ALLISON
Country Director
HOPE worldwide Pakistan
P A K I S T A N
Bringing hope,
Changing lives
AN APPEAL FOR HELP
August 28, 2010
Field Report HOPE worldwide Pakistan / reported by Dan Allison
The Floods That Just Won't Stop
The world has watched the news out of Pakistan over the last
month with a horrified, but cautious eye. Somehow this disaster
has been slow to get into the consciousness of the rest of the world.
We know it is there"but we try not to think about it. But after
nearly a month of relentless bad news out of nearly every region
of Pakistan, it seems that this just isn't going to go away. In fact,
as this piece is being written, even more flood waters are reaching
new areas of Pakistan in the southern areas of Sindh and
Baluchistan Provinces. Hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of
people are going to be impacted in the next few days.
A few days ago I was able to enter Pakistan and begin to put my
own eyes on the severity of the problem. Over 17,000,000
people have been displaced or severely impacted already, with
new rains coming this weekend. Hundreds of thousands of homes
all over the country have been destroyed or severely damaged.
This will be one of the most severe natural disasters our world has
seen when it is all said and done.
On Friday I drove to Charsadda District of Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa Province to visit one of the earliest and most
severely hit areas within the flood zone. Though only an area
of about 20 villages with a population of around 35,000, the
devastation was appalling. Flood waters had risen at least 18
feet (6 meters) in most of this area. In one area right on the
river I looked out upon a wide expanse of swift moving water.
One of the villagers then said to me, "out here is where one
whole village used to be." It was simply gone. In its' place
the river had carved a new and permanent path. Further up
the bank of the river the landscape was simply scraped
clean of houses. Piles of wood, articles of furniture and clothing
were scattered randomly. A few yards further inland the
landscape was littered with crumbled and shattered houses simply a wall here or there. A more solidly built
school house sat more than 100 meters from the water's edge. It was filled with over 4 feet of mud and silt.
Villagers were picking up wood from the area to sell
at the local market. A group of men with a tractor
were hoisting a huge one meter wide tree trunk onto a
truck to be sold. They said this log had probably
come from hundreds of miles away in the Himalayan
mountains.
I looked around as I walked through these villages and
all I saw was acres and acres of bent-over sugar cane
stalks. This is one of the largest sugar cane production
areas in Pakistan due to the plentiful water. But due
to the contamination of the flood water, these plants
were no longer good for the market, but only for
fodder for their animals. Their entire livelihood had
been wiped out.
For many, it seems like there simply isn't any place to go
Many had all their worldly possessions with them
As we walked through the devastated villages the
crowds of men grew larger and larger. Each was
eager to tell his story of what his family had lost
and what was needed. We gathered together a
group of village leaders from all ten villages.
After sharing with the gathered men about HOPE
worldwide and our desire to help their villages, as
a unit they all committed to being "HOPE worldwide
volunteers"! They knew that if they wanted
help from others they were going to have to help
themselves as well.
So what are we to do? HOPE worldwide is
working closely with the United Nations and
international communities in assessing the immediate
and urgent needs of the affected populations,
and how we can contribute to alleviate the sufferings.
We are working as part of the Food Security
Cluster. Other areas include health, shelter,
nutrition, protection (security), and logistics and
communications. Our goal is to get immediate
food supplies into the hands of the
people that are without homes, without
jobs, without cooking utensils, and without
hope. We are also discussing with other
partners and supporters to mobilize resources
and to best assist the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Province and Baluchistan Province, two of
the most severely hit locations. In KP alone,
well over 2 million people have been
impacted. Baluchistan is a remote Province in
southern Pakistan that has been largely
ignored by most of Pakistan and Iran for
centuries. They are in desperate need of
help. Though we will surely receive government
funding for our programs, we urgently
need the immediate funding that many of you
could provide so that we can get started
right away.
The generosity of our benevolent hearts has
been remarkable over the last decade. From
the 9/11 disasters to Katrina, the tsunami, the
Philippines and Haiti, we have all opened our
hearts and wallets to help those in need.
After having lived in Afghanistan for the past
five years and having made Pakistan a
second home during much of that time, my
heart easily goes out to these people.
I plead with you now open wide your
hearts as well.
Dan Allison with village leaders in Charsadda District
Both on the left and the right the villages simply weren't there
Simply piles of mud and rubble
Target area for
initial food
distribution
Here's how you can help. Our first goal is to provide monthly food packets to a
minimum of 400 families in the most severely impacted area in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for a
period of five months. Each monthly packet will contain the following UN-mandated items:
40 kg flour
5 kg cooking oil
5 kg rice
5 kg sugar
5 kg pulse
1 kg black tea
2 lg containers of bottled water
These few items are sufficient to feed a family of 7 for one month. As you can see, this is still not
very much food. But it is adequate. How many of us would be willing to survive on these few
items for a month? But the Pakistan people are begging for this help. These items can be
purchased locally, taken to the flooded area and distributed by HOPE worldwide for just $125
per family. I am asking my friends and supporters of the poor to adopt and feed one family
for one month for a donation of $125. Our goal is to supply food for 400 families for five
months in our first phase. In actuality, we learned today that over 1,300 homes in this area were
completely destroyed, and another 500 were partially destroyed.
Among the three local Churches of Christ in Pakistan, none of the 250 members are living in
flood affected areas. Though poor, they too have already given of their modest incomes to help
their countrymen. They, too, will sacrifice as local volunteers, along with thousands of their
Muslim neighbors. When disasters like this happen, we all band together and simply help.
It's what we do best.
With love, Daniel R. Allison
Country Director
HOPE worldwide Pakistan
To donate:
Visit the http://www.hopeww.org
Click on "DONATE NOW" for online
donations. Please specify PAKISTAN
FLOODS in the comments line.
Or send your checks made out to
HOPE worldwide to:
353 W. Lancaster Ave, Suite 200
Wayne, PA 19087
