Christian charity helps vulnerable recover from Pakistan floods
Relentless monsoon rains have caused the worst flooding in Pakistan's history, affecting an estimated 20 million people in the south Asian country. As the human suffering in the Muslim-majority nation worsens, Christian charity cbm is providing humanitarian assistance to tens of thousands of the most vulnerable flood victims.
"Millions of people forced to flee their homes because of the flooding are now returning to find their homes destroyed or damaged, their cattle lost or dead, their crops destroyed and all their possessions lost," says Brian Hatchell, cbm's emergency communications coordinator.
The mission of the Christian non-governmental organization (NGO) is to help people in the developing world who find themselves ensnared in a cycle of poverty and disability. Assistance is offered regardless of religion, race, gender or age.
According to cbm Canada, the charity's current humanitarian efforts in Pakistan are focused "on helping people with disabilities and people most at risk of being disabled as a result of this disaster."
The scale of the disaster in Pakistan is unprecedented, says cbm's man in the field.
"I have responded to some of the largest humanitarian crises, such as the Asian tsunami and the Haiti earthquake to name the most recent, and this is by far the worst disaster I have ever seen, simply because of the widespread damage, the number of people affected and the potentially long-lasting impact on the national economy," Hatchell writes in an e-mail sent from Peshawar in northwestern Pakistan. He is there meeting with representatives of cbm's partner organization, Comprehensive Health and Education Forum (CHEF).
Together the NGOs are providing clean drinking water, food, shelter, medical services and medicines to more than 15,000 people with disabilities and their families in the communities of Cheena, Mizader and Shinkay.
Cbm and CHEF plan to assist in the rebuilding of 1,000 homes and three schools destroyed by the floods in those three communities. The construction of a new hospital is also a major priority.
"The regional government has also asked cbm/CHEF to expand our current programs to assist another 10,000 people in three other communities in the north—Muslimabad, Syedabad and Agra," writes Hatchell.
Cbm is active in other communities in northern Pakistan, cooperating with local organizations, including the Diocese of Peshawar, which is distributing basic food items such as beans and rice, as well as cooking utensils and other essential non-food items.
The ongoing crisis is particularly hard on Pakistan's children.
"You will not find one child in the flood affected areas of Pakistan that hasn't been affected by the disaster," says Hatchell.
"I have seen some children who are clearly dealing with emotional trauma from the flooding," he writes. "I have seen others who have physical injuries both minor and more serious that will require rehabilitation and even assistive devices such as wheelchairs."
The floods have brought an abrupt end to education for many children. Many schools in the flood zones were destroyed or have been converted into temporary shelters for displaced persons, making it impossible for children in those areas to attend school.
"When they return home many children won't have a chance to return to school," Hatchell warns, "because they will be too busy helping their families rebuild their homes, plant, tend to and harvest a new crop so the family has some source of income and can get back on their feet."
For the past 30 years, cbm has been actively helping the poor and persons with disabilities in Pakistan. And the Christian NGO remains committed to Pakistan.
The immediate goal of cbm, explains Hatchell, is to "continue to support 25,000 flood survivors with food, water, shelter, medical services while helping them rebuild their homes and plant crops over the next six months while they get their lives back on track."
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