Family affected by flooding in Jacobabad, Sindh Province Photo: CWS
Situation:
Parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan have been struck by floods, so far resulting in more than 100 deaths. The floods are caused by seasonal (July-September) monsoon rains that are currently affecting portions of south and central Asia.
In Afghanistan, 75 people have died. The affected areas include various parts of eastern Nuristan, Khost, Laghman, Nangarhar, and Kabul provinces. The worst-hit area is the Sorubi District, located in Kabul Province where at least 70 people have died, and dozens of houses have been destroyed. The floods have also washed away small villages, a hospital, businesses and hundreds of cattle needed for livelihoods.
In Pakistan, where 51 people have died, residents are experiencing the sixth spell of rain this season, creating emergency situations in parts of the country that are finding it difficult to respond adequately to the flooding.
The torrential rains have affected Jhal Magsi, Hub, Naseerabad, Jaffarabad, Sibi, Turbat, and Bolan districts of Balochistan Province; Karachi, Larkana, Qambar Shahdadkot, Thatta, Sukkur, Hyderabad, and Jacobabad districts of Sindh Province; Sialkot, Dera Ghazi Khan, Rajanpur, and Jampur districts of Punjab Province; Chitral, Charsadda, Nowshera, Swat, and Peshawar districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP); and the North Waziristan Agency of FATA region.
Numerous villages have been submerged by flood waters. Homes, roads, infrastructure, and crops have all been affected. Thousands of individuals are reported to have been rendered homeless in the affected districts.
In both countries, the death toll is expected to rise; the search for missing or displaced people is still under way.
CWS Response:
Update as of Aug. 12: Last week, CWS distributed one-week food packages to 250 flood-affected families in Thatta District, Sindh.
CWS Afghanistan is ready to initiate relief activities for the affected communities. CWS emergency staff response team is on standby.
In Pakistan, CWS staff members are also on standby and in contact with the local partners to obtain updated information regarding the recent flood emergency situation. CWS is currently running a mother and child health care center for the communities in Thatta, an area affected by floods.
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. Donations to our emergency response efforts around the globe may also bemade online.
Church World Service is a member of the ACT Alliance, a global coalition of churches and agencies engaged in development, humanitarian assistance and advocacy.