OXFAM America (CLUSTERS: WASH/FOOD/HEALTH/SHELTER) - 2010 Pakistan Floods / Armed Conflict

From the InterAction site - 2010 Pakistan Floods:

Oxfam and our partners have launched a rapid-relief effort to quickly reach 400,000 people in hard-hit areas of Punjab, Balochistan, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with essential aid. We are installing toilets and water-storage tanks and delivering clean water by truck to prevent deadly waterborne diseases from sweeping through communities of displaced people. Soon we and our partners will begin distribution of kits containing hygiene materials like soap, and we will start providing cooked meals for those in greatest need. Throughout the response, Oxfam will look for cash-for-work opportunities, in which we pay survivors to carry out essential service projects for their communities.

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7/31/10 - FROM THE SITE (2010 Pakistan Floods):

Oxfam aids survivors of Pakistan floods

Oxfam and partners are supporting rescue services and working to prevent outbreaks of deadly disease.

In response to one of the largest floods in Pakistan in 35 years, international agency Oxfam has started relief operations to assist the affected population in the provinces of Khyber Pukhtun Khwa, Punjab, and Balochistan.

Oxfam has sent two senior humanitarian experts to assess the situation in Rajanpur - a hard-hit district where flash floods have caused widespread destruction. Roads and other communication networks are badly damaged, and the affected population is in immediate need of rescue boats, safe drinking water, temporary shelters and toilets, vaccines to prevent water-related diseases, and basic food items.

Working closely with partners, Oxfam has identified the 13 most affected districts and is supporting rescue services there where possible. Over the course of the next three months, the agencies will provide water, sanitation, and hygiene services to 30,000 households in 13 districts, and will help many flood survivors who have lost their livelihoods begin to earn an income once more.

According to the National Disaster Management Authority's statement of July 31st, so far 494 people have died, 251 are injured, and 9,447 houses have been damaged. These figures do not include Khyber Pukhtun Khwa Province, where assessments have been severely hampered due to the breakdown of communication networks and damage to roads and bridges. There have been reports of massive displacement, with figures ranging from 400,000 to one million; flooding has impeded access to some of the affected population.

The true extent of the damage will only become clear once the rains have ceased and communications lines have been restored. The weather forecast for the affected area calls for more rain in the first week of August.

Though the rains triggered this disaster, existing infrastructure has contributed to the damage in Rajanpur.

“The water coming from the Hill Torrents cannot be accommodated in the canals, though they were built for this purpose,” says Jamshed Farid, relief worker with Help Foundation, an Oxfam partner based in Rajanpur. “The funds allocated for widening and lining the water courses last year were misappropriated.”

Oxfam is working closely with its local partners Help Foundation, Doaba, Beej, Lasoona, Sabawon, Shangla Development Society, and Integrated Rural Support Program to respond to this disaster.

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FROM THE INTERACTION SITE (Work being done related to the armed conflict):

Oxfam is working with local partners to reach more than 360,000 people with assistance. Our focus is on protecting public health: we are constructing latrines, building and repairing wells, and providing water storage and distribution tanks. We are also distributing shelter materials, rehydration salts, hygiene kits, mats, and other essentials, and providing trainings on how to stay healthy in difficult conditions. We are working to ensure that aid reaches not only people living in camps but also those who have taken refuge in makeshift settlements or with host families, paying particular attention to the needs of women and other vulnerable groups.