Appeal # 700-G
Appeal Goal: $119,000
Situation:
On April 16, at least six people in Pakistan and 40 people in Iran were killed when a major earthquake, with a 7.8 magnitude, struck a region near the Iran-Pakistan border. Tremors were also felt in India and the Gulf states.
The epicenter was in southeast Iran in an area of scarcely-populated mountains and desert. It was located 125 miles southeast of the Iranian city of Zahedan and 155 miles northwest of Turbat in Pakistan.
In the sub-district Mashkil of Washuk of Balochistan province in Pakistan, more than 1,000 houses were damaged or destroyed, leaving hundreds of families homeless. The affected communities of Mashkil are social and economically marginalized and have no resource and capacities to cope with the disaster conditions at their own.
Being so far away from the federal and provincial capitals, Mashkil has extremely weak government structures to cope with the current emergency. The roads are also difficult to access, which further hampers many organizations to instantly respond.
Iran was struck twice by earthquakes this month. Although no independent reports by the media or humanitarian agencies were available to confirm the damage and needs of those affected in Iran, 40 people died and many were injured. An earlier quake on April 9, measuring 6.3 magnitude, struck Bushehr Province of Iran; killing about 40 people.
CWS Response:
CWS is providing emergency food assistance to 500 families of Sub-District Mashkil of Wahsuk District in Pakistan’s Balochistan province – specifically a one-month food ration. In Iran, CWS is providing non-food items to 1,000 affected families in Iran’s District Dashni of Bushehr province – specifically hygiene kits and emergency medical assistance.
The food packages and hygiene kits are being directly distributed by CWS’s local implementing partners. The food items packages include wheat flour, rice, cooking oil, pulses, sugar, tea leaves and salt, as well as match boxes.
The contents for the hygiene kits include soap, toothpaste, detergent, shampoo, towels, sanitary napkins, underwear and diapers.
Budget:
The budget of $119,567 includes $82,655 in direct assistance; $11,916 in storage and warehouse costs; $9,222 in program-related costs; and $15,774 in operations and support costs.
How to Help
Contributions to support CWS emergency response efforts may be sent to your denomination or to Church World Service, P.O. Box 968, Elkhart, IN 46515 (designate 700-G, Pakistan-Iran Earthquake Appeal). Donations to our emergency response efforts around the globe may also be made online.
CWS is a member of the ACT Alliance, a global coalition of churches and agencies engaged in development, humanitarian assistance and advocacy.