Strengthening Participatory Organization (SPO)
Daily Assessment Updates on Torrential Rain and Flood Situation in Pakistan
August 7th, 2010
Overview:
Country-wide torrential rains caused unprecedented and outrageous floods throughout Pakistan except in Sindh where minor damages are reported. The current spate of torrential rains and flash floods started on 21st July 2010. Initially it played havoc in eastern parts of Baluchistan which includes: Barkhan, Kohlu, Sibi, Jafferabad and Naseerabad districts. The relief operations in the affected areas of Baluchistan were not over yet, when floods struck district Rajanpur, Layya and Gujranwala in Punjab. Subsequently, the tide turned towards Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) and Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) and engulfed various small and large towns in these areas. The most affected areas in KPK are: Shangla, Swat, Minghora, Mansehra, Charsadda, Noshehra towns, where routine life has come to a complete halt and affected communities in most parts of KPK are still waiting for rescue and relief.
Initial reports reveals that around 4 million people have been affected by worst floods in the country and death toll have risen to 1600 people. It is feared that the number of death will soar further once the communication links are re-established. The government authorities, armed forces and humanitarian organizations, particularly NGOs, have started a major rescue effort to reach out to affected communities to provide them humanitarian assistance during their distress movements.
In order to facilitate coordinated humanitarian response in the affected areas and enable humanitarian organizations to have substantial planning for their humanitarian activities, SPO, with the support of its partner organizations, initiated rapid assessments in the affected areas and share it with relevant stakeholders in the form of daily update. Date-wise situational update and rapid assessments of damages caused by torrential rains and floods are available on SPO website and can be accessed on URL http://www.spopk.org.
Daily update for 7th August 2010, providing details of SPO’s response to the emergency situation and relief activities being carried out for mitigation of the miseries of affected communities across the country, is provided below:
SPO intervention in Flood affected areas till August 07, 2010
Keeping in view the essential needs of affected communities, SPO teams besides coordination of humanitarian efforts at Provincial levels in Baluchistan -Quetta, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa – Peshawar, AJK – Muzafarabad, Sindh-Hyderabad, have initiated various humanitarian interventions. Hitherto, following activities have been carried out and reported:
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province:
Peshawar
Flash floods in KPK and FATA has caused destruction at large scale and displaced millions of people. SPO has responded through its partner organizations in different parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and FATA. The details are as follows;
1 SPO in partnership with Citizen Rights and Sustainable Development (CRSD) opened a relief camp in High school Tarkh, District Nowshehra, where approximately 500 displaced people were provided two times meals for three days.
2Similarly in Union Council Agra District Charsadda, SPO provided clean drinking water through Jerry canes (20 liters each) to 400 families in partnership with Pakistan Rural Development Program (PRDP), a Peshawar based meso level NGO.
3SPO in partnership with Human Development Organisation (HDO) distributed food packs among 200 households, in Union Council Khalisa II of Peshawar.
4A partner organization of SPO in Khyber Agency (Sawera) has donated clothes, clean drinking water and food. SPO is coordinating the distribution of these items among flood affectees in Nisata and Dhri Zardad UCs of Charsadda.
5SPO also supported a private initiative undertaken by Dr. Tufail Mohammed and his colleagues to provide medical assistance and clothes to 80 women in UC Agra of Charsadda.
6SPO Peshawar is also coordinating with other humanitarian organizations to reach out to the affectees in district Charsadda.
7SPO as an active member of the Network for Humanitarian assistance in Peshawar is facilitating humanitarian actors to avoid duplication of efforts by sharing information and highlighting the plight of affectees through media and internet.
Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK)
SPO Muzaffarabad is in close coordination with humanitarian actors and supporting SDMA in relief and response activities in the affected areas of AJK. As it was shared in SDMA meeting yesterday, the helicopter service has been suspended due to bad weather, but the road network has been restored for light vehicles. SDMA shared that it could not managed to assist affected families till the filling of this report because of destruction of roads and communication infrastructure.
SDMA has food items to respond but has limited logistics to reach out the affectees in Neelum valley. SPO is going to provide logistics support to SDMA to reach out the affectees of Neelum.
Rapid Assessments:
SINDH Province:
District Ghotki:
In district Ghotki eight Union-Councils are worst affected: Ranvti, Wasti Jeewan Shah, Langho, Pakka Chandio, Qadirpur, Hussain Beli, M Khan Ghoto and Baghoo Daho. Until the filling of this report 200 villages have been affected by flood.
There are 1000 families stranded under the open sky in Qadir pur. In UC Mohammad Khan Ghoto, Taluka Ghotki 500 families have been affected, whereas 4500 affected families belong to Qaderpur Loop Kham.
At the moment two districts have been severely affected by the flood resulting in inundation of some areas. District Kashmore is the worst hit area where 75000 people have been stranded. SPO is coordination with local CBOs is collecting the data in District Kashmore and Ghotki to ascertain the situation on ground.
Challenges to flood affected people:
1.Women especially children are the most vulnerable because of restricted mobility and access to the safe places and food points.
2.The affectees are shelter less and require basics to survive in this harsh weather.
3.The flood and rain has resulted in spread of diseases like as diarrhoea water borne diseases and high fever among the community especially children.
4.The pregnant women are the most venerable since their basic nutritional needs are not met.
Dire Needs identified
Given the grave situation in flood affected areas the people direly need the following:
•Shelters
•Medicines
•Food Items
•Safe drinking water
SPO Regional teams are working with relevant stakeholders at regional level for relief and mitigation of miseries of the affected communities and coordinating relief operation in the areas. For further details or any other relevant information, you may contact SPO staff at following locations:
SPO Regional teams are working with relevant stakeholders at regional level for relief and mitigation of miseries of the affected communities and coordinating relief operation in the areas. For further details or any other relevant information, you may contact SPO staff at following locations:
Islamabad:
Mr. Malick Shahbaz Ahmed |
0300-5556324, 051-2298892, 8316890 |
Syed Shahan Abbas |
0321-9696177, 051-2298892, 8316890 |
Mr. Azhar Ghumro |
0300-9712236, 051-2298892, 8316890 |
Mr. Noor Baloch |
0321-2290286, 051-2298892, 8316890 |
Azad Jammu & Kashmir:
Mr. Qamar Zaman (Muzaffarabad) |
0300-5179530, 05822-434432, 05822-434432 |
Mr. Attique-ur-Rehman (Neelum) |
05821-456574 |
Mr. Tabraiz Shamsi (Bagh) |
0331-8210911, 05823-445290 |
Mr. Tabassam Shahzad (Bagh) |
0345-2603015, 05823-445290 |
Quetta:
Mr. Mukhtiar Chalgari |
0345-8300130 |
Ms. Fouzia Khajjaz | 0333-7931296 |
Mr. Farooq Magsi |
0301-3719957 |
Multan:
Mr. Jam Jamshaid |
0300-6360162 |
Mr. Shams Nazir | 0300-6105885 |
D.I.Khan:
Mr. Shaffiullah |
0966-713231, 0966-712231 |
Mr. Asghar Ali | 0966-713231, 0966-712231 |
Peshawar:
Mr. Arshad Haroon |
091-5810021 |
Mr.Ijaz Durrani | 0332-9293101 |
Mr.Jalal |
03465317559 |