The third major flood relief distribution effort arranged by The Salvation Army in Pakistan took place on Saturday 21 August. The first distribution took place at Tar Nab Farm, on the bank of the River Kabul between Nowshera and Peshawar, where sleeping and cooking packs were given out to 43 families. As with previous distributions the packs consisted of quilts, pillows, mattresses and a set of kitchen utensils.

Government and Pakistan military officials helped with the distribution and expressed their appreciation for the work being carried out by The Salvation Army. They were particularly pleased with how organised the distribution was.

One of the female recipients told Divisional Officer Captain Washington Daniel that she had lost everything in the water but that she could now look forward to a comfortable night’s sleep for the first time since the disaster struck.

Another 180 families received sleeping and cooking packs during a second distribution held in the open air near Peshawar. Mr Syed Zahir Ali Shah and his team from the Ministry of Health and Member of the Provincial Assembly (MPA) Mr Javed Prince gave their help and spoke about the effectiveness of The Salvation Army’s relief work.

The third distribution point was in Nowshera which is on the bank of the River Kabul and has been badly affected by the floods. The distribution took place at Christ Church School and packs were given to 77 families.

The initial flooding was mainly centred on the north-west of Pakistan but fears are growing for people in the south of the country where the floods have received less publicity.

A Salvation Army team visited two camps near Hyderabad which are home to around 300 families. The team has reported that living conditions are poor and that people are sleeping in tents usually used for weddings but not suitable for rainy conditions. As well as the dangers of living in unsuitable weather conditions the people also have to be wary of snakes competing with them for the dry ground.

The assessment team reports that most people in the camps lost all their possessions in the floods and that they urgently need bedding, food, clothes and sanitary items.

The Salvation Army is looking to see how it can provide help to these people and many others who have lost everything.

Donations to the Pakistan Flood Appeal can be made online.

Pakistan has been hit by some of the worst floods in living memory. Those affected were already desperately poor and what little they had had now been washed away. Read the full story

Thursday August 19, 2010 – As The Salvation Army in Pakistan continues its initial response to the floods that have now affected more than 20 million people, The Salvation Army in Canada is pleased to announce that it will allocate $50,000 to support this relief effort.

Any public donations received by The Salvation Army that are specified to the Pakistan Flood Appeal will also be used to support the ongoing effort.

The Salvation Army in Pakistan continues to provide the basic necessities of life, including bedding, food and water to the flood victims.

The Salvation Army began its work in Pakistan in 1883 and now includes more than 700 facilities, social institutions, children’s schools and almost 90,000 members. The national leaders of The Salvation Army in Pakistan are Canadians, currently serving for the second time in that country.

Please support The Salvation Army’s relief effort in Pakistan. Financial contributions can be made by calling 1-800-SAL-ARMY (725-2769), by visiting our website, www.SalvationArmy.ca, by mailing donations to The Salvation Army Territorial Headquarters, Canada and Bermuda, 2 Overlea Blvd., Toronto, Ontario M4H 1P4, or dropping off financial donations at the closest Salvation Army unit in your area. Donors should specify their gift to the Pakistan Flood Appeal.

THE Salvation Army in Pakistan continued its initial response to the floods that have are now thought to have affected 20 million people by distributing bedding and cooking utensil packs to 300 families in Charsada. An assessment team visited Charsada a week earlier and discovered that the floods had devastated the town, wrecking homes and businesses.

The distribution team included Lieut-Colonel Yousaf Ghulam (Chief Secretary of the Salvation Army’s Pakistan Territory) and Lieut-Colonel Rebecca Yousaf (Territorial Secretary for Women’s Ministries).

The first distribution, to 100 families, took place at Charsada Bible Church. Lieut-Colonel Ghulam spoke to community members, offering sympathy.

The Bishop of Peshawar arrived during the distribution and thanked The Salvation Army for its work. Members of the local media were also present and asked many questions about The Salvation Army.

The next distribution was in a hujra (an annex to a main building) in Charsada for two hundred Muslim families. There was a large crowd of people already gathered when the team arrived but the proceedings went smoothly. The chief secretary gave a short message for the community and the bishop offered words of comfort. Local Member of the Provincial Assembly (MPA) Mr Javed Prince added a few words of sympathy for the community.

One of the recipients in Charsada was Noor Ali, a student. He told the Salvation Army team that his family fled their home when the waters began to rise. When they returned home the house was full of water.

He said: ‘We are determined to face this big challenge. We will do hard work to reconstruct our houses. At the moment we are having problems but we are brave and we can fight.’

Imran Azm, a policeman who works in Peshawar, collected supplies for his parents. He told team members that he is determined to provide for his family.

Both Noor and Imran expressed their gratitude for what they described as a ‘token of love’ given by The Salvation Army.

The next day, the team visited Academy Town Corps (Salvation Army church) to meet affected families. Assessment visits were also made to Nowshera, Pabi, Jahangia and Aza khail, all communities near the River Kabul.

In Aza khail the team saw people in desperate need. The community of around 15,000 people was near to the river and its houses were washed away. The people who remain explained that many bodies have yet to be found because they were swept away by the flood or buried under rubble.

The community members asked for tents to provide shelter. The Salvation Army is putting together funds so it can look to buy a large number of tents that will begin to address some of the people’s most urgent needs.

Adapted from a report by Captain Imran Sabir

Donations to the Pakistan Flood Appeal can be made securely online.

The Salvation Army in Pakistan has distributed relief packages to 150 families affected by the flooding that continues to cause misery across a large region of the country. The packages consist of a mattress, quilts, pillows and a set of kitchen utensils.

The distribution took place in a health centre run by the Church of Pakistan in Risalpur, about 36 miles from Peshawar in north-west Pakistan. The packs were given to Christian, Muslim and Hindu families sheltering in St Mary’s and St Joseph’s school.

Captain Washington Daniel (Divisional Commander of The Salvation Army’s Islamabad Division) reports: ‘Our team unloaded the trucks with the local volunteers. We all worked as a team with duties allocated. Pastors from the Church of Pakistan and St Mary’s school principal helped us check the identification of the affected people against the registered list.’

The local Member of the Provincial Assembly (MPA) Mr Javed Prince visited the centre. Captain Daniel says the MPA and his team were ‘pleased to see the distribution and gave appreciation to The Salvation Army’. They also made arrangements to ensure the Salvation Army team’s ongoing safety.

The distribution had to finish earlier than planned because of heavy rain but the rest of the 200 packages should be given out today (11 August) and plans are in place to distribute packs to a further 300 families in Charsada on Saturday 14 August. This will depend on the necessary security arrangements being put in place.

The bedding materials are being sourced in Peshawar to keep delivery costs down and the kitchen utensil packages are being put together by staff and young people at The Salvation Army’s Pakistan Territorial Headquarters in Lahore. The ongoing floods are causing power cuts and transport problems which mean that supplies of vital goods can be sporadic at best!

Donations to the Pakistan Flood Appeal can be make securely online.

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Salvation Army Assessors in Pakistan Seek to Help People Who ‘Have No Hope’ (Update 10 August)

THE Salvation Army in Pakistan continues to put in place preparations for a large-scale response to the floods that have affected more than 14 million people.

Andrew Lee, Chief Accountant for The Salvation Army in Pakistan, is a member of the assessment team that is looking to see where The Salvation Army’s help is most urgently needed.

He writes that one of the first places the team went to was a relief camp at St Mary’s school in Risalapur. About 120 families are living in the shelter that has been set up in the school, predominantly Christians but also including Muslims and Hindus. Most have come from Syce Mandi where the houses were totally destroyed.

‘I saw a lot of sad and depressed faces,’ he says. ‘Talking to some of the people there is no sense of hope at all. I felt desolate myself and, feeling the need to do something, we came back later with a box of milk powder (there is a shortage of some food items) and sweets, which seemed to cheer people up. It’s a token gesture, I know, but for me it was worth it seeing their faces brighten for a little bit.

‘The next stop was a visit to another school housing about 30 families in Nowshera. Here we met the OM medical organisation that has been going to various relief camps with medicines and vaccinations. It is great to see the various organisations contributing to help the millions of people affected.

‘While the heavy rains continued I talked to three widows with quite a few children living in one of the classrooms. More sadness and hopelessness was being expressed by them. Because they do not have husbands to earn a living and having lost all their possessions, there is little chance of rebuilding their lives without assistance.

‘We headed into Charsadda, where refugees had pitched tents along the roads. Trucks carrying flat bread (chapattis) were being mobbed and people started fighting to get closer (cars were also mobbed when they stopped to help). Going into the main town, we were guided through the back streets toward the river bank and shown a few damaged houses.’

The team then headed towards the river, where the worst of the flooding had taken place. Andrew says: ‘At times the mud was so thick that our boots were stuck. As I walked along the streets, residents still living in their badly damaged homes were surprised to see me. During translated conversations with the locals, it seems that no officials or non-governmental organisations (NGOs) had come this way in the past nine days. I was the first to visit them and again I felt sad that I could not at this time give any assistance except by being there.

‘A father was carrying two children through the knee high water and his daughter let slip one of her shoes. As it floated, I managed to retrieve it and put it back on. A small random act of kindness put a smile on a few faces.

‘Coming within about 30 metres of the river, we finally had to stop as the water level was rising again. As I made my way through flooded alleyways, houses were either collapsed or full of mud or badly damaged. One owner showed me his two-storey house, and told me the waters had reached the second floor. His family sat on the edge of the roofing for about two days until the waters receded, fearing that the house would collapse and they would be thrown into the street. All their possessions were damaged by mud and water.

‘I feel sad that the flood has affected 14 million people and I guess upset that I can’t be more helpful. Realistically we can’t help every single one of them. With what resources we have, we will try to help as much as possible in coordination with the government and the various NGOs. Although those I talk to have no hope, I think maybe that, with goodwill and neighbourly cooperation, Pakistanis can rebuild their lives.’

Captain Washington Daniel (leader of The Salvation Army’s Islamabad Division) adds: ‘We met with the Bishop of Peshawar’s team and they welcomed us. They are very thankful for The Salvation Army’s visit and our cooperation. In this meeting we discussed how we can help the people who have lost so much.

‘They gave us a list of people in different areas in order to avoid duplication in the distribution of assistance. I said that The Salvation Army will attempt to provide utensils (pots, pans, dishes), quilts, pillows, foam mattresses and gas cylinder burners. We have identified 3,000 families in need of assistance from the list we were given.’

The captain also met with a government representative, who offered his support.

Northern Pakistan has been hit by the worst floods in living memory. According to the UN more than four million people have been affected. People in the flood’s wake were already desperately poor and what little possessions they had have been washed away.

The Salvation Army in Pakistan is continuing to prepare a full response to the floods. Captain Washington Daniel, The Salvation Army’s District Officer for Islamabad, went to Peshawar to assess the situation and help decide how The Salvation Army can best help.

He reports:
The situation is hopeless and people are facing major difficulties. Most houses are damaged badly or have fallen down completely due to the flood water. River water came into many houses, rising to above six feet in some places. People are looking for shelter, going to relatives’ houses or to churches.

In some areas there is still standing water and people are afraid to go back to see their homes. Their houses and what they owned is mixed with mud. The buildings and houses are cracked and not suitable for living in.

The smell of the water in some places is too bad to stand near. Human bodies and animals around the fields are still stuck in the mud.

The first batch of relief aid to go up to the affected areas – essential goods bought with the initial funding – is being put together and will be sent as soon as it is ready to go.

Donations to the Pakistan Flood Appeal can be make securely online.

The Salvation Army worked on-site in areas such as Saskatoon, Regina, Swift Current, Melfort and as far away as Winnipeg to help families deal with flooding and other weather-related damage. Workers provided meals and spiritual care for the hardest-hit areas.

Salvation Army spokesperson Capt. Les Marshall said people generously gave time and money to help provide crisis assistance and to clean up.

“Following each disaster,” said Marshall, “we saw generous people rush to action to help us bring hope to Saskatchewan families.”

To date, financial donations to Maple Creek total $18,368, and donations designated for Yorkton total $26,362.

Including donations in kind, the Salvation Army has received more than $50,000 in support. All of the money will be used to assist flooded Saskatchewan communities.

Read more: http://www.thestarphoenix.com/Crises+spur+donations+Salvation+Army/3356496/story.html#ixzz0vdqcbHkH

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