By Santificarnos.com

Caritas member Catholic Relief Services (CRS) joined other aid agencies in expressing major concerns for 250,000 people in the Kech district of Balochistan affected by the cyclone that swept through the southern part of Pakistan on June 26.

Heavy rainfall due to cyclone Yemyin resulted in massive flooding in local rivers and streams of Kech. The rains and subsequent flooding left hundreds of victims, and affected over one million people in the country.

CRS is working with Caritas Pakistan and other Caritas members to respond to the floods.

“The most pressing needs are for those living under an open sky. They are exposed to the rain and will be in a terrible condition when the monsoon season comes. In all of our visits in these areas, I was reminded of the devastation after the 2006 earthquake, when houses were just buried under the mud. Here, too, people kept telling us of houses that were there, and we couldn’t see any sign of that house, nothing but the mud under our feet,” said Gul Wali Khan, emergency director with CRS Pakistan who has just returned from Kech.

Khan said, “Livestock is buried under the mud; water infrastructure is fully damaged, forcing people to get water from local rivers and streams that are polluted; and people are reporting incidences of scabies, diarrhea, gastro-intestinal illness. Clean water and hygiene are of critical concern.

“Many people left their homes and their food stocks behind, or their stocks were simply washed away or buried. Hundreds of thousands of people in the areas where we visited are in immediate need of food, and in an amount that should last them for a minimum of one month.

“Most of the school buildings have collapsed or are severely damaged and many children have lost their school bags, books, materials, and uniforms. It is important to resume a routine of normalcy as quickly as possible, in a safe environment and with support that allows children to continue their education despite the conditions.”


Click here to return to homepage