How to Help the People of Pakistan Amid the Devastating Floods

Pakistan has long been among the most disaster-prone in the world due to its regional climate and widespread poverty—and the recent record-heavy monsoon rains that have hit the country have led to the most severe flooding in its recent history, and left millions in need of aid.

Since mid-June, over 33 million inhabitants of Pakistan (encompassing one-third of the nation) have been afflicted by heavy flash floods linked to climate change. The torrential floods are said to be the consequence of monsoon rains and melting glaciers from the region's dramatic heatwaves, which have reached up to 123 degrees Fahrenheit leading up to the crisis in April and May.

In just over eight weeks, the floods have washed away villages—killing nearly 2,000 people—and destroyed millions of acres of land, as well as hundreds of thousands of homes, public health facilities, schools, and water systems. Young children and families in Pakistan have been living in the open without food or clean drinking water, and left vulnerable to new flood-related hazards such as drowning and injuries from damaged infrastructure.

"Pakistan has never seen an unbroken cycle of monsoons like this," Sherry Rehman, Pakistan’s climate minister, wrote on Twitter in August. "Eight weeks of non-stop torrents have left huge swathes of the country under water."

The climate change crisis is here, and it's catastrophic. Below, learn more about the local and international nonprofit organizations pulling resources to aid Pakistan in its recovery efforts, and see how you can donate to the cause.

UNICEF

The United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, an agency of the United Nations sourcing humanitarian and developmental aid to children, is working with the Pakistan government to deliver safe drinking water, medical and food supplies, hygiene kits, and temporary learning centers to afflicted children and families. Donations are being accepted to fund these supplies to more families.

Save the Children

The British humanitarian aid organization provides resources to children for better education, health care, and economic opportunities. The group has stationed emergency responders across Pakistan's worst-affected areas of Sikarpur and Jacobabad, where they are distributing temporary shelters, household items, and food packs for families. They are currently accepting donations for several emergency efforts.

International Rescue Committee

The rescue committee provides emergency relief for refugees of humanitarian crises, with a focus on offering clean drinking water, food, and hygienic resources for safe sanitation to women and girls. They are accepting emergency donations through their website, those which will directly go toward families in Pakistan in need of immediate support.

CARE

The international nonprofit works to tackle poverty and provide widespread access to education, accepting multiple forms of donations via phone, mail, or electric funds in direct aid to children and families in poverty. Members of the organization are distributing tents, emergency latrine kits, hygienic items, and additional emergency relief supplies to families in Pakistan.

Disasters Emergency Committee

The committee is calling in international assistance to provide temporary shelter, emergency food, and clean drinking water to those in need of humanitarian aid. The U.K. government matches every pound donated, up to £5 million, to go toward these resources.

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