Drive to help Pakistan flood victims kicks off

A massive flood relief campaign has been kicked off at the Pakistan Association in Dubai (Pad) to help millions of flood victims in Pakistan.The campaign was launched on Thursday at Pad in cooperation with the UAE Red Crescent.Speaking at a press conference held at Pad to officially launch the relief campaign, Ambassador to the UAE Jameel Ahmad Khan called on the public, particularly his fellow Pakistanis, to donate generously to flood relief efforts.He said that members of the Pakistani community are fully aware of the situation back home and are already working to do whatever is possible.Khan said the UAE Red Crescent has pledged to match the donations contributed by the Pakistani community in the UAE. TheRed Crescent teams are already in Sindh province providing necessary relief and assistance to the thousands left homeless."Pakistan Association is the only Pakistani organisation which has been given permission officially to raise donations both in cash and kind for the flood victims," Khan said.He said the unusual and unprecedented rains have affected 8.9 million people in 11 districts in Sindh. The disaster has so far left 450 dead and injured 746 people.About 300,000 children were affected and 700,000 houses damaged.More than 80,000 head of cattle perished and the entire infrastructure of health, education, and transportation, including schools, hospitals and roads have been completely wiped out."Meeting the daunting challenges posed by the devastating floods on both socio-economic and human fronts is a huge undertaking and certainly beyond the capacity of any single nation," Khan said.According to UN estimates, Pakistan needs more than $350 million (Dh1.2 billion) to carry out much needed mitigation, recovery and rehabilitation work in the affected areas.Khan said the UAE Red Crescent relief team has already intensified efforts to distribute emergency aid to people affected by the floods in Sindh province.Earlier, Pad president Dr Zia ul Hassan said their group was among the top contributors to relief efforts during the earthquake in 2005 and last year's floods.He said Pad has formed different relief teams composed of doctors, volunteers and social workers that will be sent to the affected areas to oversee the relief efforts."We are also planning to provide two ambulances to the affected areas so that our teams can provide medical treatment to the [victims] at their doorstep," he added.He assured that relief goods would be distributed among the victims without any discrimination on the basis of religion, caste and political affiliations.Mohammad Khalid Saeed from the UAE Red Crescent said the UAE is carrying out various developmental projects in Pakistan at a cost of $100 million to help provide a dignified life for people affected by the floods.The press conference was also attended by Consul General Tariq Iqbal Soomro, PAD welfare secretary Rizwan Fancy, Zahid Termizi, vice-president of PAD, and other members of the association.