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Pakistan

Pakistan: Monsoon Flash Floods Revised Preliminary Emergency Appeal n° MDRPK006

Attachments

Summary:

In support of the Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS) operation to assist up to 130,000 families (approximately 910,000 people) for a total of 18 months, this Revised Emergency Appeal seeks CHF 75,852,261 (USD 73.6m or EUR 57.2m) in cash, kind, or services.

Appeal history:

=B7 A Preliminary Emergency Appeal was launched on 2 August 2010 for CHF 17,008,050 (USD 16,333,000 or EUR 12,514,600) in cash, kind, or services to support the Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS) to assist up to 25,000 families (approximately 125,000 individuals) for nine months.

=B7 CHF 250,000 (USD 239,406 or EUR 183,589) was allocated from the International Federation's Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) to support this operation.

Summary:

The worst floods to hit Pakistan since 1929 have affected an estimated 15.4 million people according to the latest National and Provincial Disaster Management Authority reports (16 August), which accounts for almost one in every 10 Pakistanis. The death toll now stands at more than 1,475 people and 2,052 people injured. More than 680,000 people have been evacuated and the latest assessments estimate that up to 1 million houses have been damaged or destroyed. Some 70 per cent of the country has been affected; an area that equates to the size of the UK. In its fourth week of heavy monsoon flooding, Pakistan is now beginning to come to terms with a disaster that has robbed millions of people of homes, possessions and livelihoods. Even as the government and humanitarian aid agencies remain entrenched in relief efforts, affected communities are preparing themselves for more rain as the monsoon conditions continue.

In late July and early August, the monsoon swept through Baluchistan, Punjab, Khyberpakhtunkhwa (KPK), FATA, Pakistan administered Kashir (AJK), Gilgit Baltistan and Sindh, causing unprecedented flash floods that submerged homes, roads and bridges, cropland and public infrastructure. The national Meteorological Department reports that 9,000 millimetres of rain fell in less than one week, an amount ten times that of the annual average.

Early relief distributions by the Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS) have now reached 35,375 families (247,625 individuals) with food items and 11,036 families (77,252 individuals) with non-food items, while emergency health services have treated some 43,756 individuals as of 16 August. The National Society continues to deliver relief items and conduct assessments of affected areas.

The magnitude of the crisis is unprecedented and as such requires massively scaled up action. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) field assessment and coordination team (FACT) supported by an initial regional disaster response team (RDRT) member are integrating with PRCS counterparts to conduct detailed assessments that will contribute to the design of a multi-sectoral plan of action, addressing the affected population's urgent needs of relief, emergency health services and shelter.

In response to the urgent humanitarian situation and recognizing the growing needs of the affected populations, PRCS, in partnership with the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement partners, plans to significantly scale up their operation from the initially targeted number of 50,000 families affected by the floods. The PRCS operation will focus on immediate relief distribution (food and non-food), provision of emergency shelter, health and care, and emergency water and sanitation services. In addition, PRCS will provide support to affected populations in restarting household livelihoods and addressing longer term recovery needs.

PRCS, IFRC and the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) have been working together in Pakistan for many years. Coordination among these partners, including Red Cross Red Crescent Societies from other countries is now strengthened to assure the most effective and timely response to humanitarian needs of those affected by the floods. Geographical areas of operations have been agreed according to the complementary roles and competencies of the partners, keeping in mind the need for flexibility and adjustments.

This revised emergency appeal aims to scale up the humanitarian response through the mobilization of further support for PRCS to continue its humanitarian assistance across the disaster stricken areas. Specifically, the appeal will support the implementation of emergency relief distributions (food and non-food), provision of emergency shelter and support for owner driven reconstruction of houses, delivery of health services, provision of safe water, adequate sanitation and hygiene promotion, and early recovery support through livelihoods interventions for 150,000 families of which the IFRC appeal requests support for 130,000 families with anticipated contributions from partner National Societies covering a further 20,000 families. The appeal also focuses on building a stronger branch and human resource capacities within PRCS at the local level and establishing systems to enable beneficiary participation in the planning and implementation of these activities.

Considering the longer-term needs of the communities and the time needed for service delivery, this revision establishes an appeal duration of a total period of 18 months, and will, therefore, be completed by 2 February 2012. A Final Report will be made available by 2 May 2012 (three months after the end of the operation).