As MSF teams in Pakistan increase the provision of water and emergency kits to people affected by the floods there, there are major concerns about the amount of aid reaching communities in need.
“Weather permitting, we will distribute thousands of kits this week in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Baluchistan” said Thomas Conan, MSF head of mission in Pakistan. “But we fear that too little is being done for affected families. Two weeks after the first floods, people’s needs are immense and are still increasing. Much more must be done for them.”
During a distribution in a refugee camp, people from the neighbouring villages came to ask for supplies as they had not received any form of aid. Our teams were able to provide for one hundred extra families that day but were frustrated that people in such dire need are still without urgent aid.
In order to supply more safe water, MSF water and sanitation teams in Nowshera yesterday managed to extract 35,000 litres of water from a repaired borehole. The water was immediately distributed to families there. The daily quantity extracted and distributed should increase in the next few days.
Mobile water distribution points like this one are providing safe water to flood-affected villages in Pakistan. 8th August 2010. Photo by Ton Koene
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Despite increasing the amount of water and materials available for distribution, our teams are facing a major challenge in finding locations to do so. A lot of land is still under water and, due to continued flooding, areas that are dry one day may well be flooded the next. As distributions are labour-intensive operations involving many tonnes of materials and dozens of trucks, there is very little margin for error.
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MSF has provided has more than 7,000 medical consultations to flood-affected people. Of these consultations, 1,800 were provided in eight mobile clinics travelling to remote areas, and schools and camps where large numbers of people have taken shelter. More mobile clinics will be opening soon.
MSF has distributed kits to 5,143 families (36,000 people) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Baluchistan and expects to distribute thousands more this week.
MSF has more than 100 international staff and 1,200 Pakistani staff at work in Pakistan.
110 tons of water and sanitation equipment, drugs, medical and logistical material have arrived in Pakistan and will be followed by more relief supplies according to the needs identified.