Floods Hit Southern Pakistan

Sept. 6, 2011 - PRLog -- THOUSANDS of families are facing fresh misery in Southern Pakistan – as torrential rains hit Sindh province.
 
Children’s charity Plan International says up to 300,000 people in Badin district have been left homeless by flooding.

The most vulnerable are being evacuated after one foot of water swamped their homes.
“Our specialist disaster response teams are on the ground in Sindh province where thousands of people are in need of food, shelter and safe drinking water,” says Haider Yaqub, Plan’s Country Director in Pakistan.

“More rain is forecast in the next few days and there are fears the problems will escalate.”

Sindh province was one of the worst hit by last year’s devastating floods with 7.5 million people affected.

In response to this latest disaster, the government has set up temporary relief camps in 43 high schools.

However, they are only housing 20 per cent of the people displaced.  
“Some families are also taking shelter in primary schools and health centres,” says Mr Yaqub.

“The majority are stranded on the roadside as they’ve been unable to reach the camps.”
Plan’s teams are focusing on providing shelter, as well as clean water and sanitation – as well as setting up safe spaces for children affected by the floods.

“We are aiming to ensure children, especially girls, are kept safe from harm during this difficult time,” explains Mr. Yaqub.  

Heavy rains are taking a toll across South Asia.  About one million people have been affected by floods in Southern Bangladesh.

For more information please visit http://www.plan-uk.org/