Thursday, August 26, 2010

Information Support Center for Disabled Persons Affected in Flood

Persons with disabilities are last to be rescued in any disaster and disasters lead to disability as well. Plight of the disabled persons in disaster situations is an agenda that deserves a prominent place in the humanitarian work. Reduced mobility means lesser visibility, lesser access and lesser voice. Translated in simple language, this means lesser survival chances.
Having experience of addressing the disability in emergencies STEP (www.step.org.pk) has realized its responsibility to establish an information and support center for the flood affected people across Pakistan. The purpose is to:
Identify disabled persons in flood affected areas
Humanitarian organizations to rescue disabled persons
Ensure accessibility of sanitation and food distribution in shelters
Re-linking displaced disabled persons with their families
We have requested the network of our associated organizations to collaborate with us for effective efforts.
1. Disabled Peoples Organizations (DPOs) are requested to share information of disabled persons affected by flood.
2. Humanitarian and development organizations are requested to keep an eye on disabled people affected by flood and make their interventions as accessible as possible.
3. Media persons are requested to report about disabled persons affected by flood in electronic and press media so that the need could be realized and this graved issue shall be recognized
4. Individual and development organizations are requested to extend their support in kind or cash to support already indentified persons and families
This information support is available round the clock, please contact us for further details on following addresses
Telephone: +92-51-2111331
SMS (Text): +92-(0)308-5004569
E-mail: office@step.org.pk

Flood Affected with Resticted Areas

UKaid announced so far will provide help for around one and a half million people in Pakistan affected by the floods.

The UK Government has earmarked up to £31.3 million in response to the UN Pakistan appeal, with £16.8 million so far allocated. In addition, a £10 million bridge project has been brought forward.

SUMMARY OF UKAID TO THOSE AFFECTED BY THE FLOODS:

Five plane loads of aid from United Arab Emirates to Islamabad carrying a total of 400 metric tonnes of aid: approx £1.5 million.
3,500 tents and 9032 shelter kits, providing shelter for more than 62,000 people
24,000 water containers and 48,625 blankets
Help half-a-million malnourished children and pregnant/breastfeeding women and children by providing high energy food supplements, treating severely malnourished children, and training health workers: £4 million
· Safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene for 800,000 people via UNICEF: £5 million
· Helping to deliver 100,000 hygiene kits to protect health in Sindh
· Pakistan Emergency Response Fund: £5 million
· Bridges project brought forward: £10 million
· Emergency ‘seed money’ released: £750,000
· Radio broadcast emergency information programme: £45,000
· Extension of DFID loan guarantee scheme to small enterprises affected by the floods.
UK public contributions to the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) appeal: £15 million
Scottish Government contribution to Scottish aid agencies in country: £500,000.
Previous contributions to the European Commission Humanitarian Office, Central Emergency Response Fund, and International Committee of the Red Cross More details

Devastation in Pakistan Continues

UN Secretary General has called the devastation in Pakistan the the worst he has ever seen. “This has been a heart-wrenching day for me,” he said after touring the affected area over the weekend. “I will never forget the destruction and suffering I have witnessed today. In the past I have witnessed many natural disasters around the world, but nothing like this."

The floods began more than two weeks ago and have hit about one-quarter of the country. Tracks of land remain under water, and hundreds more homes were ?ooded over the weekend. While the death toll of 1,500 is small compared to other disasters, the extent of the ?ooding and number of people whose lives have been disrupted is staggering. The Pakistan government is now reporting that up to 20 million have been displaced and made homeless and 1.7 million acres of farmland have been destroyed. Many survivors are now living in muddy camps or overcrowded government buildings, while thousands more are sleeping in the open next to their cows, goats and whatever possessions they managed to drag with them.

The U.N. has appealed for an initial $460 million to provide relief, but only 20 percent has been given. "Waves of flood must be met with waves of support from the world," said Ban. "I'm here to urge the world to step up assistance," he said. More Details

KHABER PAKHTUNKHWA

Disabled people in flood relief activities.

Saaya, Association of People with disabilities is a non-profit and cross disability association which supports people with disabilities (PWDs), enabling them to realize their full potential through new opportunities, personal choice, and community involvement. The association is working for improving the ultimate status with dignity of people with disabilities.

Pakistan has been affected by the worst floods in decades – Millions of homes in thousands of villages and towns have been destroyed. According to reports, over 20 Million people have been affected by this disaster, according to WHO the 10% population is disabled of Pakistan so u can understand that how many persons with disabilities of 20 million people are facing same problems but unfortunately those persons with disabilities are ignored by our media and other organization in affected areas,

SAAYA ASSOCIATION has taken initiative to help those persons with disabilities and their families. Saaya has distributed packets that comprised on Milk, Water, Cooking Oil, Rice, Tea, Dry Food, Sugar and especially Wheel Chairs among the Persons with disabilities in first phase on 20th August, 2010 in Nowshera.

There are many organizations, NGOs, civil society, government, media and Pakistan army are working for the flood victims, but no one is realizing about the disabled persons and disability issues. We request you to support us especially Disabled persons organization who are working for those disabled persons.
Source:- Saaya Association

PUNJAB

Person with Disabilities are in action on self-help basis

Society for the Special Persons® (SSP) is working for the empowerment of disabled people.SSP is the of the disable persons, for the disable persons and by the disable persons. SSP was established in March 2007 by the Disabled Persons to make them useful for their family as well as for the country. SSP just not supports persons with disabilities but also support the non- disabled peoples. Empowering them to recognize their full competence, aptitude, talent, skill personal choice and community involvement.
Now a day’s much southern Punjab different areas affected with flood. Many families have lost their houses, pets, property and homeland. This is worst disaster of history of Pakistan. Pakistan’s entire provinces affected. SSP took an initiation and started work for flood affected people. In SSP office, a relief camp was established. With the help of Lion Club International (Multan), community and self help, SSP sent food for 2000 families on two trucks.
Pulpit rock

SSP members did all packing and work day and night to prepare it.SSP distributed these commodities in different places of District Muzafar Garh e.g, Shah Jamal( mondka), Baseerah, Mahmood Kot Road and also in different areas of district Multan. SSP requests to all Pakistanis, let tell to world, we are united. We are one nation; we should support our Pakistanis brothers and sisters.
Source:- Society for Special Persons Multan.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

SINDH

Thousands stream out of Thatta as floods spread

About 70 percent of Thatta’s 300,000 people move to safer areas Official says army engineers struggling to plug breach at Faqir Jogoth Thousands of people on Friday fled Thatta city after the swollen Indus River burst its banks and authorities ordered an evacuation.
Around 175,000 people - around 70 percent of Thatta’s population - were believed to have packed up and left overnight. Surrounding towns of Sujawal, Mirpur Bathoro and Darro — which had a combined population of 400,000 — had already been evacuated.
A stream of buses, cars, trucks and bullock carts snaked out of Thatta heading for higher ground. Many people were walking, driving livestock and carrying bundles of possessions.According to the district administration, the floodwater is expected to enter Thatta city early on Saturday. Many people from outlying areas had taken refuge in Thatta, which normally has a population of about 300,000, and now had to move again, another official said. But Farooqi said one breach in the riverbank had been plugged and authorities were working to patch another near Faqir Jogoth.

In Makli, which is a hilly area, devastated people were seen sitting out in the open with their children and cattle.
"It is the worst tragedy.... We are leaving our homes in miserable condition.
A stream of buses, cars, trucks and bullock carts sna-ked out of Thatta heading for higher ground. Many people are walking, driving livestock and carrying bundles of possessions. But some people refused to go.

“We’re not going to leave. How can we leave? Who will protect my house?” Affectees Said.

Ghulam Nabi Nizamani
Coordinator ASHA
CEO PDPO / DPI PAK
Secretary DPI AP
VC CBR AP Network
Phone: +92-333-2916281
email: ghulamanabi.nizamani@gmail.com
Web: www.pdpo.org.pk

Assessment of Temporary Shelter by Persons with Disabilities in Karachi

Disabled Welfare Association (DWA) and Danishkadah jointly did a survey of Internally Displaced Persons with Disabilities (IDPWDs), at Razkabad camp Karachi, on Sunday 22nd August.

The aim of the survey was to identify the IDPWDs and their needs. So we can try to help them more accurately with a fixed target.

This camp has two parts one is in the school building and another is in the ground in thousands of tents. In one part there are 567 families in which 623 are male and 163 are female, in 2nd part of the camp there are 1438 families, in which 756 are female and 628 are male along with 9 “special” children. This data we noted from the board in camp. However when we survey ourselves we found 100s of PWDs in this camp, we have noted these in a separate list. Moreover DWA’s volunteer took many photos and made video to show the real picture.

Wheelchair users in our survey team face difficulties as the path was not clear betweens the tents. Moreover due to Ramadan lack of time also made it difficult to check 1000s of tents however volunteer checked tents from morning till evening under leadership of Mr. Javed Rais president DWA.

During survey we found that besides persons with disabilities there are many people who got injuries during the flood, there are pregnant woman and aged people. They are weak and cannot get their share from the items distributed by many NOGs, and individuals. Because when they distribute things there are so many people who try to snatch because there are more people and less items to be distributed. This is also noted that women with pregnancy have risk of disability to unborn baby because lack of food, medicine hygiene and other factors.

The most wanted item we found were cloths, many of them have only one dress in which they evacuate from their home and haven’t change their cloth since many days, many children do not have proper / complete dress. Besides this the daily meals is another important thing they need, as they are weak and cannot win their share competing with other peers.

People with Physical disabilities are more in numbers, some of them need wheelchairs, some are two weak to walk or sit by themselves they need urine bottle and toilet chair, these things are not available in the camp. Besides as usual toilets are not accessible for wheelchair users. Camp management consideration is requested in this regard.

DWA and Danishkadah will survey other camps in Karachi and later further inside in Sindh Province which is badly affected.
Source: Disabled Welfare Association Karachi.