In July 2010, unprecedented monsoon rains caused rivers to overflow, causing devastating and widespread flooding that, at its peak, covered one fifth of Pakistan’s landmass.

The flooding that devastated huge areas of Pakistan in 2010 claimed 1,985 lives and severely impacted the lives and livelihoods of more than 12 million people. Our appeal raised a staggering £71 million people to help those affected. 

Huge amounts of grain and other crops were lost as 17 million acres of farm land were completely submerged. 450,000 farm animals were also killed, leading to severe food shortages. At the same time, millions of people’s homes were damaged or destroyed, meaning the most immediate needs after the rains were food and emergency shelter. 

Essential infrastructure such as toilets and infrastructure for delivering safe drinking water were also set up to prevent a secondary health crisis caused by communicable diseases such as cholera. 200,000 mosquito nets were also distributed to prevent malaria. During the response, 994 babies were delivered.

After the floods receded, hundreds of thousands of people still needed help rebuilding their livelihoods, which had been destroyed by the disaster. 244,000 people received seeds, farming tools and livestock. 42,000 benefited from Cash For Work Schemes and Disaster Risk Reduction training was provided to 14,000 people.

BEFORE THE CRISIS 

• Pakistan was 125th of 169 countries in the Human Development Index
• 22% of people living in extreme poverty: they survive on less than $1.25 (US) per day
• 23% of people undernourished
• 25th highest infant mortality rate in the world

THE IMPACT OF THE CRISIS 

• Unprecedented monsoon rains caused flooding of the Indus river, starting in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, spreading South through Punjab, Balochistan and Sindh.
• 12 million people’s homes were damaged or destroyed
• 2.2 million hectares of crops were destroyed
• 10,000 schools damaged or destroyed
• 450,000 livestock lost

DEC APPEAL AND RESPONSE 

• 1.8 million people  reached by DEC  funded aid
• 1 million people supported with food assistance
• 510,000+ provided with clean water
• 290,000+ people provided with emergency shelter
• 26,000+ people benefitting from help to restart farming

PROTECTING CHILDREN FROM A DEADLY BUT INVISIBLE THREAT 

Following the floods the risk of water-borne diseases was huge. Within 48 hours of opening, a medical facility that had been set up in the town of Matta in the mountains of north west Pakistan, had received more than 60 patients suffering from acute watery diarrhea. Children are especially at risk because their bodies are less able to withstand the dehydration that acute watery diarrhea causes. Diarrhea caused the deaths of an estimated 1.5 million children worldwide in 2009. 

One child that was brought to the medical facility was two-year old Mohammad Faizan who was brought in by his grandfather, Noshad Ali. Arriving severely dehydrated, he could have died within 24 hours. 

Mohammad lived with his extended family, near the banks of the Swat River, which destroyed their home during the flooding. Noshad Ali said: “We were eight people walking around with water up to our neck. Everything was drowning, including our cattle.” He suspects that the water in the family well is now contaminated, and that this is the likely cause of this grandson’s illness.

Thanks so generous donations from the public, DEC member charities were able to bring health services to 780,000 people and deliver safe water to more than 510,000 people.