Disaster Relief
Flood in Pakistan 2011
In 2010, Pakistan suffered the worst possible floods in its history in which more than 20 million people were affected. JSCD remained at the frontline for providing relief services in humanitarian situations in all the four provinces in Pakistan. During the floods emergency, JSCD staff and volunteers established relief camps where families were registered, ration cards were issued and every family was issued 15 days ration and utensils of daily needs. On the whole more than 5000 families (approx. 35,000 men, women and children) were supported for a period of six months.
Each family was provided with the following ration for 15 days:
- 20 kgs of Atta/flour
- 05 kg rice
- 3 kgs lentils
- 0 2 ½ kgs ghee
- 01 kg sugar
- 01 tea packet
- 01 kg powder milk
- 01 kg of dates/khajoor
- 04 packets of Rusk
JSCD relief camps were established at the following areas:
KHYBER PAKHTOON KHAW
1. Charsada
2. Swat
a. Bahrain
b. Madyan
c. Matta
PUNJAB
1. Northern Punjab (Mianwali)
a. Union Council Trag
b. Union Council Maseetwalla
2. Southern Punjab
a. Rajanpur
b. Muzaffargarh
c. DG Khan
d. Rahimyar Khan
BALOCHISTAN
Ghandakha
GILGIT BALTISTAN
Skardu
During the emergency period male members of the families were encouraged to rebuild their houses as the water receded. It was encouraging to see how people were anxious to get back to their homes and to restart lives again.
Medical camps were organized in all the adopted areas right from Swat down to Muzaffargargh. Free medicines were provided and every family was given adequate amounts of ORS to fight against Diarrhea. During the camps families were given health education for prevention of water borne diseases.
Ongoing REHABILATION and Relief activities:
JSCD continues to provide its services to the areas affected by massive flood in 2010. We are working in the districts of Muzaffargarh and Rajanpur, where extensive health and education are provided on a very large scale. In addition to this JSCD is also continuing its relief activities as some of the communities still require help like clothing, beddings, medical camps, etc.
Please find below the current rehabilitation and relief activities of JSCD in Muzaffargarh and Rajanpur districts:
Health
JSCD is continuing its medical camps organized in its adopted flood affected areas. Moreover it has also initiated health and hygiene program to impart health education to the flood affectees to prevent water borne diseases. The outreach team of JSCD is moving from village to village, establishing community action groups of the villagers/local population and assist them in spreading the health education to the community.
Education
The schools in the flood hit areas have either completed or partially destroyed. JSCD is setting up Temporary Learning Shelters (TLC) for schools in four union councils of district Muzaffargarh. To date it has set up more than 161 TLC and enrolled approximately 2500 children. This effort of JSCD is being supported by UNICEF. The happiness seen on the children’s faces as they came back to school was the best reward that anybody could have wished for.
These children are also provided with stationery, bags, school in a box and recreational kits. Temporary boundary walls have been setup for safety and security of children in TLCs. Nearly 300 teachers of all these government schools are also being trained to effectively provide education in the current situation and to provide psycho-social support to children. JSCD is planning to support these schools until government starts the schools’ rebuilding process.
Sanitation Services
The devastating floods in 2010 destroyed most of the schools in the flood affected areas and the situation in Muzaffargarh district is extremely bad as it is one of the worst flood affected districts in the country . JSCD is working closely with the Government and UNICEF to establish Temporary Learning Centers (TLCs) in Muzaffargarh. Providing quality education also implies the provision of an enabling learning environment in which children can perform to the best of their ability. In Pakistan the sanitary and hygienic conditions at schools are appalling, characterized by the absence of properly functioning water supply, sanitation, and hand washing facilities. The flood has destroyed the school buildings and water and sanitation facilities have also been destroyed.
In such an environment, children resort to open defecation around or even at the school compound and this causes a big impact on their wellbeing and health thus adversely affecting school children's participation, lowering enrollment rates and increasing absenteeism, poor classroom performance, and early school dropout.
This project titled ‘Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Facilities in Schools in District Muzaffargh’, being implemented in collaboration between The Coca-Cola Export Corporation, Pakistan Branch and JSCD will contribute towards “child protection and development” by provision of adequate water and sanitation facilities in target two primary schools of district Muzaffargarh namely, Government Girls Primary School, Basti Surhani and Government Primary School, Wigh.
The project envisages building latrines with water & sanitation services and provision of safe drinking water. Moreover, the students, teachers and the community will also be empowered and trained to adopt safe hygienic practices.
JSCD is extremely grateful to individuals and organizations such as Coca Cola, FJMC, FJOG and Aisar Foundation for their donations for the relief activities in 2010.
