Cologne/Islamabad. More than two months after the devastating floods in Pakistan, some parts of Sindh province are still under water. "In Pakistan, we are witnessing what climate change means for people in some parts of the world. In May and June, people in the South Asian country struggled with extreme temperatures of around 50 degrees. As a result, glaciers melted, rivers flooded, and in July and August, monsoon rains were extremely heavy and the water could not trickle down to dried-out soil. The water has covered a third of the country. The people in Pakistan are facing a country in ruins due to the climate catastrophe," says Cordula Wasser, Head of Malteser International's Asia Department.
To support the people in the particularly affected and densely populated southern province of Sindh, Malteser International is expanding its aid in Pakistan. In addition to mobile medical teams that continue to provide free treatment to 200 patients daily, local partner organizations are distributing cash, tents, tarpaulins, mosquito nets, water containers, water purification tablets, and food packages to the people. As millions of people have lost their homes, Malteser International will also support communities in rebuilding their houses.
"The water masses swept everything away. There was heavy pollution from broken containers, sewage, and flotsam. The fields are destroyed, people have no income and no supplies of food. They are now threatened by hunger. The people are suffering the consequences of climate change, yet their own lifestyle has contributed little to global warming. They urgently need our help," Wasser says.
The floods in Pakistan have had a devastating impact: nearly 1,700 people have died, more than two million homes have been destroyed and, months after the floods, two million people are still dependent on humanitarian aid, according to the UN.
Attention editors:
Cordula Wasser, Head of the Asia Department of Malteser International, is available for interviews and sound bites.
Operator: +49 (0)221 9822 -7181, katharina.kiecol(at)malteser-international.org
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