Floods intensify in Pakistan ：ｆrom Raymond C. Offenheiser President Oxfam America

From Raymond C. Offenheiser　President　Oxfam America　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

action@oxfamamerica.org;

Matuoka – UPDATE: Floods intensify in Pakistan Since I last wrote, the floods in Pakistan have intensified. At least half a million more people have been affected as floodwaters continue to surge in the southern provinces. By now, more than 700,000 homes have been damaged or destroyed. The sheer size of this disaster is almost unimaginable: it is now affecting more people than the Haiti earthquake, Hurricane Katrina and the tsunami of 2004 combined. Already, more than 30,000 people are suffering from water- and hygiene-related infections – easily treated under good conditions, but potentially fatal during emergencies like this one. Communities desperately need clean water and sanitation facilities in order to avert the looming public health crisis. The need is great, and growing – please, donate to the Pakistan Flood Relief and Recovery Fund today. Thank you for your generosity at this critical moment. My email from last week with more information is below. – Ray

Dear Matuoka, Catastrophic floods have rocked Pakistan. 14 million people have been affected. Property, crops and livelihoods have been washed away. Oxfam is already on the ground providing relief, but your help is needed to sustain the effort. Restore hope to Pakistan – donate to the Flood Relief and Recovery Fund. More than 14 million people have already been affected by flooding in Pakistan, and that number may grow as the water continues to surge. Oxfam has launched an ambitious relief and recovery effort that needs your support. "The countryside is drowning in an ocean of contaminated water," says our Pakistan Director, Neva Khan. If we don't act fast, waterborne illness could overwhelm the population and spark a major public health disaster. Your help is desperately needed to provide water and sanitation and continue search and rescue efforts. Click here to donate to the Pakistan Flood Relief and Recovery Fund. The floods which battered Pakistan this week are the worst the country has seen in living memory. And more rains could be on the way. The on-the-ground accounts are already chilling. "The water has swept away everything," says Iftikhar Khalid, another Oxfam manager in Pakistan. "Families are desperate about the loss of their loved ones, their belongings and their livelihoods. Water sources and crops are destroyed." But Oxfam's experienced team and its partners are already working around the clock. We have helped 100,000 people with clean water and plan to reach over 650,000 people with emergency assistance in the hardest-hit areas. We have helped mobilize emergency boats to assist government search and rescue efforts and have so far have helped evacuate 80,000 people. Oxfam has the know-how to carry out this mission successfully. Here's how your gift can help save lives: $25 can buy one family hygiene kit (including oral rehydration salts, soap, sanitary cloths and towels). $90 can buy three family household kits (including water containers and purification tablets). $500 can buy a full set of tools for the relief effort (including shovels, pickaxes, buckets and wheelbarrows). Provide relief for Pakistan – click here to make a tax-deductible gift NOW. Thank you in advance for your help. Your generosity can bring hope to people in their most desperate hour. Sincerely, Raymond C. Offenheiser President Oxfam America P.S. Sometimes words can't describe the situation on the ground in emergencies like this. Here are a few pictures of what families are facing in the aftermath of Pakistan's recent floods.

Update Personal Profile | Tell your friends about Oxfam America | Change your email preferences Who We Are | What We Do | What You Can Do | News & Publications | Contact Us