Article Republished with permission from UM Healthcare

The flood affected region is vast. And the aid that has reached the affectees is minimal. Our team while treating patients in Noshehra and Pabbi district, also spent considerable time exploring, assessing and cataloging the damage caused by the floods. This is an unprecedented event that can be termed as the flood of the century. An estimated five million people are directly affected by the disaster and death toll is rising daily. At last estimate over 100 towns and villages were inundated with floods and many located near the banks of the rivers have been wiped out of existence.

There is widespread damage and the human suffering is growing by the day as the water has not receded to normal levels even after a week of original flooding.

There is no fresh water, no food, no electricity, no mobile service, nothing of note in these areas. The crops are destroyed, water wells are contaminated and most of the cattle is either dead or missing. The only thing that is wide spread is foul stench of decaying corpses (animals and humans) and muddy water carrying deadly diseases.

The first government sponsored relief camps are beginning to pop up. However, it is too little and too late. Mostly people are fending for themselves and trying to peace together their lives by helping each other. Here is an eye-witness account of how little water is available for drinking and how little aid has reached the people in the following report from the ground.

http://blogs.tele-healthcare.org/2010/08/we-take-water-for-granted.html

A list of what is needed including medicines and eminities is listed here on our UM Healthcare website

http://umtrust.org/relief/floods/

The media is just beginning to talk of the crisis but is still unable to explain the catastrophe that has engulfed us.

Please help spread the word among friends and send it out to as many people as possible as we need your help and assistance.