Pakistan Floods/Cyclone: Critical funding still required for flood-affected communities

The humanitarian situation remains critical for an estimated 250,000 displaced people in the worst flood-affected areas in Balochistan and Sindh provinces, two months after a major cyclone hit southern Pakistan in mid-June. There is a large displaced population that is unable to return home even now because flood waters have not receded. With extensive farmland still under water many farming communities are unable to access their land to prepare for sowing in September. In addition, there have been extensive losses and damages to orchards, poultry and livestock, irrigation canals, water systems and village roads. Food shortages are expected to get worse if these communities are not supported.

The displaced population is also in substantial need of safe water, sanitation and basic health facilities and, in some areas, shelter. Foul stagnant water makes the IDPs vulnerable to outbreaks of water and vector-borne diseases and skin diseases are rife.

Humanitarian assistance is needed for at least 2-3 months until the flood waters recede. The absence of the traditional extended family support network for these families has made them particularly vulnerable and the severity of the storms weakened their usual coping mechanisms. Cash for work, livelihoods projects and return assistance will all be essential if a situation of long-term impoverishment is to be avoided.

A further 20,000 displaced people are living in 22 formal (tented camps), mainly in Balochistan, and training is urgently needed for the local authorities and local NGOs on camp management and protection issues for women and young girls.

In addition, an estimated 25,000 people are living in 152 collective centres (schools, hospitals, government buildings), mainly in Sindh province. This population is unable to return home due to the stagnant water levels. As a result, the schools did not reopen on time and the provincial authorities estimate this situation will continue for another 3 months. The Camp Management and Camp Coordination and Education clusters plan to construct temporary learning spaces for IDP and village children and to support the local authorities with registration, return assistance and packages.

Emergency relief assistance is still urgently needed in the flood-affected areas and lack of funding is seriously hampering humanitarian assistance and weakening the cluster approach. Humanitarian assistance to affected communities should not be contingent on international staff being issued with NOCs to facilitate access as the humanitarian community can support national staff who have a good capacity to carry out relief assistance, monitoring, support district authorities and work through the existing network of local NGOs.

The UN Flash Appeal launched on 18 July of USD 38 million is only 20% funded, i.e USD 7.7 million of which USD 4.4 is from the CERF.

For more information, please contact: Stephanie Bunker, OCHA-New York, +1 917 367 5126, mobile +1 917 892 1679

In Geneva: Mr. Jean Verheyden, verheyden@un.org, Tel: +41 22 917- 1381 or Elisabeth Byrs, OCHA-Geneva, +41 22 917 2653, mobile, +41 79 473 4570. OCHA press releases are available at http://ochaonline.un.org or www.reliefweb.int.