Pakistan Floods 2010:
CARE's Relief Efforts

CARE's Flood Relief Efforts in Pakistan

One of the mobile health clinics that CARE has set up to provide care and treatment to survivors of the floods. (2010 Thomas Schwarz/CARE)

In the wake of the worst flooding in recorded history in Pakistan, CARE and our partners have reached tens of thousands of people with relief, including emergency supplies and medical care.

Since the onset of the floods, CARE has helped almost 91,000 people affected by the floods.

We have:

• Distributed emergency aid, including tents and non-food items, such as water purification tablets, hygiene kits, mosquito nets, plastic floor mats and kitchen kits;
• Established camps for displaced people to help with dry food rations, emergency supplies and health care as well as shelter;
• Provided heath care and treatment through CARE's mobile and stationary health clinics;
• Conducted health and hygiene awareness-raising sessions;
• Helped revive livelihoods by vaccination of livestock;
• Carried out assessments of flood-affected areas to help determine humanitarian needs and the best ways to effectively assist those in need;
• Increased staff to help with direct assistance and our capacity to support flood-affected people.

Humanitarian Needs in Pakistan Today

When United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon visited flood-affected areas of Pakistan, he stated, "These unprecendented floods demand unprecedented assistance." Unfortunately, the international response to the disaster has been slow, while the humanitarian needs are growing quickly.

• Agriculture: The floods have causes extensive damage to means of production, including land, infrastructure and livestock, which has affected food supplies and destroyed the livelihood of many who depend on the land for survival.
• Education: According to the latest reports, almost 8,000 schools have been damaged across affected areas. In addition, another 5,000 schools have been converted into shelters for people who lost their homes in the floods. Unfortunately, tents designed for use as schools are in short supply, but there are now almost 75 temporary learning spaces in relief camps, serving 12,150 children.
• Food: Up to 6 million flood-affected people will need food assistance for at least three months, and this number may yet rise as the situation in some areas continues to deteriorate.
• Health: Surveillance data indicates that the leading causes of death in flood-affected communities are skin diseases, acute diarrhea and respiratory tract infection. Diarrhea is now the second highest cause of death in at least one affected area. In addition, there have been reports of cholera and malaria outbreaks.
• Nutrition: Assessments show that children and and pregnant and lactating women are not getting enough food for their needs today, leaving them at risk of malnutrition. In addition, the United Nations estimates that 3.5 million children are at risk for waterborne diseases.
• Psychosocial support: Mental health care is urgently needed to help mitigate the affects of the floods on the well-being of people, especially women and children, who are most vulnerable during crisis situations.
• Shelter: The overall need for emergency shelter support has increased rapidly, compounded by the evacuation and migration of at-risk populations. As there are not enough tents available to meet demand, alternative emergency shelter solutions will need to be implemented in the short term.
• Water, sanitation and hygiene: A huge – and growing – number of people do not have access to safe water are in urgent need of a range support, including clean water, water purification tablets, hygiene kits and essentials, such as soap and buckets.

CARE's Focus on Women

One Woman's Story

Belqis, 20, is eight months pregnant. Her village was completely flooded and she now lives with her husband, who has fallen ill, in a makeshift shelter 12 kilometers from home.

Belqis was worried about childbirth until CARE and a local partner stepped in to help register and support pregnant women in the area.

Today, Belqis' mind is at ease knowing that she and her baby will have access to the care they need when the time comes to deliver.

(2010 Thomas Schwarz/CARE)

Today, there are approximately 500,000 pregnant women in Pakistan who have been affected by the floods. Many of these women are living without proper shelter, supplies and food. And flood waters have damaged or destroyed more than 200 hospitals and clinics.

During normal times, approximately 15 percent of all pregnant women will experience a complication requiring medical intervention. These include hemorrhage, infection, miscarriage, prolonged/obstructed labor and hypertensive disorders, many of which could be avoided with appropriate medical care. But with limited or no access to health facilities, pregnant women are at an even greater risk of complications and death related to pregnancy and childbirth.

With Pakistan's rate of maternal death is 320 deaths per 100,000 live births during normal times, CARE is working hard to help meet the needs of all women affected by the floods with a special focus on pregnant and lactating women.

How we are carrying out this work

Our mobile health teams are providing primary health care throughout the affected regions of Pakistan. The mobile teams are able to reach some of the people who are still trapped by flood waters or who are too weak to make it to a clinic for care. These teams are paying special attention to pregnant women and are able to help them with pre- and postnatal care.

CARE is training traditional birth attendants, and providing them with delivery kits, so they can help safely deliver babies when the time comes. Each of the birth attendants is linked to a health facility, where they can turn for help should complications arise. We are also training female health workers to assist female doctors in the management of patients. These health workers are a vital part of our mobile and static health units (that are fully equipped to facilitate safe deliveries). It is critical that more women receive health training since it is custom in Pakistan for women to be treated by other women, even in emergency situations.

CARE health teams are also vaccinating pregnant women against tetanus, distributing water purification tablets to help cut down on cases of waterborne diseases, including diarrhea and cholera, treating skin disorders and providing a wide array of additional care.

Videos: Floods in Pakistan

Featured Photos: Scenes of Disaster and CARE's Response

CARE is on the ground in Pakistan, where the worst flooding in recorded history has affected more than 17 million people.

One-fifth of the country still remains underwater, and the monsoon rains are not expected to stop until mid-September.

Explore CARE's photo gallery to view scenes of the disaster as well as our flood relief efforts in Pakistan.

Commentary from the Field in Flood-Ravaged Pakistan

Nambarj, 65 years old and a widow, lost her home and possessions in the flooding. (2010 Thomas Schwarz/CARE)

• My visit to Swat
• I have just returned from Pakistan
• A new meaning of flood
• Need for speed
• Interview with CARE Pakistan Country Director Waleed Rauf:
  "Aid is coming through but not enough has been done"
• Is this the question we should be asking right now?
• The old woman and the flood
• A very special week
• Unimaginable numbers
• Nowshera is still under water
• A ray of hope for rescue
• Is this what we prayed for?

Media, Press Releases and News Items

For more information and to arrange an interview with staff in Pakistan, including CARE's Country Director Waleed Rauf, please contact:

• Islamabad: Deborah Underdown, underdown@careinternational.org, +92.3332.53.329.21, +44.79.743.95048
• Atlanta: Brian Feagans, bfeagans@care.org, +1.404.979.9453, +1.404.457.4644
• Geneva: Melanie Brooks, brooks@careinternational.org, +41.22.795.1024, +41.79.590.3047

CARE Press Releases:

• Pakistan Floods: Two Million Children Will Miss Out on School
• Concerns Over Pakistan Cholera Reports
• Critical Lack of Funding Hampers Emergency Response in Pakistan
• Pakistan's Humanitarian Forum Calls for Urgent International Support
• CARE Activates Clinics, Emergency Stockpiles in Pakistan

CARE in the News:

• PBS NewsHour – Has Aid for Pakistan Flood Crisis Been Enough?
• ReliefWeb – Women and Children Disproportionately Affected by Pakistan Floods
• PBS NewsHour – The Catastrophe in Pakistan (video from 16:00 - 24:40)
• The Christian Science Monitor – Pakistan Floods: Why Aid Is So Slow Compared to Haiti Earthquake
• Associated Press – After Slow Start, Aid Finally Flowing to Pakistan
• Reuters AlertNet – Concerns Over Pakistan Cholera Reports
• IRIN – Pakistan Floods Hit Tent Supplies
• CNN – Money for Aid Trickling in for Flood-Ravaged Pakistan (with video)
• Financial Post – Pakistan's "Image Deficit" May Be Behind Difficulty in Fundraising: UN
• CNN – Rescuing Pakistan's Flood Survivors
• OpEdNews – Pakistan Hit by Worst Flood in 80 Years
• BBC – Disaster Emergency Committee Launches Monsoon Flood Appeal for Pakistan

CARE in Pakistan:

Founded in 1945, CARE is one of the world's largest humanitarian aid agencies. Working side by side with poor people in 72 countries, CARE helps empower communities to address the greatest threats to their survival. Women are at the heart of CARE's efforts to improve health, education and economic development because experience shows that a woman's achievements yield dramatic benefits for her entire family. CARE is also committed to providing lifesaving assistance during times of crisis, and helping rebuild safer, stronger communities afterward. CARE re-established operations in Pakistan in June 2005, after being out of the country for more than 25 years. CARE places special emphasis on gender issues and building the capacity of local grassroots organizations in Pakistan, working to improve education and livelihoods as well as maternal and childhood health. CARE also has responded to previous emergencies in Pakistan, including Cyclone Yemyin in 2007 and the South Asia earthquake of 2005.