Continuing Rain Hampers Flood Relief Efforts In Pakistan

Continuing rain in Pakistan is hampering flood relief efforts in that country.

In an area known as the food basket, crops worth $1 billion have been destroyed, World Bank President Robert Zoellick said on Friday.

The United Nations believes 1,600 people have died in the floods, while Pakistan has confirmed 1,243 deaths. Two million people have been left homeless and 13 million more have been affected.

Now, as workers struggle to get aid the hardest-hit areas, they are facing washed-out roads and waterborne illnesses.

Doctors are reporting an increase of cases of fever, stomach problems and skin diseases, especially in children. Relief workers warn that the death toll will rise long after the rain stops falling.

The Canadian Red Cross will be arriving in Pakistan on Sunday.

“Hundreds of thousands of people are living without even the most basic supplies,” Hossam Elsharkawi, director of emergencies and recovery said.

“One organization cannot do everything, but we are in close coordination with the Pakistani authorities, local Red Crescent, and our global partners and together, through distributions such as these, we are reaching communities and making a difference.”

Meanwhile, the federal government is being criticized for its $2 million aid pledge. On Wednesday, the UN appealed for nearly half a billion dollars in emergency aid to provide food, clean water, shelter and medical care to those victims over the next three months.

The U.S. has committed more than $70 million and the U.K. has promised $30 million.

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Red Cross

• Online: www.redcross.ca
• Call: 1-800-418-1111 The 24-hour toll free line accepts Visa, MasterCard and American Express
• Mail: Cheques should be made payable to the Canadian Red Cross, earmarked “Pakistan Floods 2010” and mailed to the Canadian Red Cross National Office, 170 Metcalfe Street, Suite 300, Ottawa, Ontario, K2P 2P2

 

Global Medic

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