Community Members Urged To Support Relief Efforts
Peshawar, Pakistan: Severe floods have led to a critical condition of people in the Punjab region and as authorities continue to warn of more rain to come, the situation promises to be much worse. According to an estimate by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA), 13.8 million people have been impacted by the devastation caused by the floods and landslides in Pakistan, affecting more people than during any of the prior natural disasters, including the earthquake in Haiti in early 2010.
Due to heavy rains and floods, communication and infrastructure have been suspended in the major cities of Pakistan. Food prices have soared, and availability of basic necessities is limited. Flash floods and acute food shortages have compounded the problems already created by the internal conflicts and violence in North-Western Frontier Province (NWFP). Prices of basic vegetables have increased sharply, making them unaffordable by most of the population. Agriculture is deeply affected; land and crops ready for harvest are washed away. All over the affected areas, thousands of people were trapped in the flood water. In Nowshera city, 13 Sikhs were among those stranded on rooftops of their business establishments, waiting for help to arrive. Lives are at a standstill for Sikhs and other community members who have lost their homes and small businesses, their only means of livelihood. UNITED SIKHS is ramping up its ongoing disaster relief work in NWFP in Pakistan for the community members displaced because of the ongoing conflict, and for the farmers hit by the floods in Punjab, India. We appeal to members of the Sangat to support the organization in a disaster situation affecting many of our brothers and sisters.
We are doing every thing we can, but we need your continued support!
Please donate generously; as no amount is too little.Your donations will help provide basic needs for disaster victims who have lost everything they have.
Cash donations are most preferred, since it will allow us to purchase supplies on ground and ensure quicker turnarounds (since roads are severely affected, transportation is difficult). However, should you prefer to make in kind donations, UN OCHA has identified the following items as critical to disaster relief in Pakistan: food, clean water, medical care, shelter and household goods. There are also other ways you can help generate funds for the aid efforts:
Hold a small fundraising event.
We will do our utmost to work with you. Email [email protected] for ideas and possibilities.
Make a donation by check made payable to UNITED SIKHS. These can be sent to your local UNITED SIKHS office. You can find the details at http://unitedsikhs.org/contact.php#IN
Encourage friends and family to donate online at http://www.unitedsikhs.org/donate
Efforts in Indian Punjab: http://unitedsikhs.org/punjab/panjab_flood_2010.php
Efforts in Pakistan Panjab: http://unitedsikhs.org/pak_floods/