Minneapolis, Minn. (August 3, 2010) – The American Refugee Committee is assisting survivors of the floods in Pakistan, which have killed more than 1,400 people and forced more than 3 million people from their homes. Health teams traveled by boat to visit medical centers in Swat, which had been made inaccessible by washed out roads and collapsed bridges. The team is also distributing critical supplies and medicines.
“The heavy rains washed away entire communities, as most homes here are made of mud,” said Jill McGrath Jones, Team Leader. “The rain came in torrents. Now there seems to be a collective holding of breath to see what happens next. The fear is that this is just the beginning – more rains are forecast, and we are just at the tip of the monsoon season.”
Many of the water sources have been damaged by the floods. This could lead to a major public health crisis. Cases of diarrheal disease have already been reported.
“We are concerned about the worsening conditions in the flood-affected areas,” said Daniel Wordsworth, President of the American Refugee Committee. “With experienced teams on the ground, we stand ready to help.”
ARC has been operating in Pakistan since 2002. ARC is currently assist refugees living along Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan, as well as people affected by the recent conflict in Pakistan’s Swat Valley.
The ARC team is coordinating with partners and assisting survivors in Sibi District in Baluchistan; and Barikot and Ghalegay, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (formerly North-West Frontier Province) – some of the areas affected most by the flooding disaster.
The American Refugee Committee is taking donations to support its relief efforts at: American Refugee Committee; 430 Oak Grove Street, Suite 204; Minneapolis, MN 55403 USA; tel 612-872-7060 or at, www.ARCrelief.org.
