Oxfam Responds to Heavy Rains and Deadly Cyclone in Pakistan
6 July 2007
A period of heavy rains followed by the arrival of cyclone Yemyin has caused widespread flooding in Pakistan, leaving hundreds of people dead or missing and forcing hundreds of thousands to flee their homes.
Oxfam is responding to the disaster in the two hard-hit provinces of Sindh and Balochistan, where the agency will initially work with local partner organizations to distribute relief materials to approximately 5,000 families (30,000-35,000 people). The emergency distributions include water purification packets, hygiene kits to help displaced people protect themselves from waterborne disease; kitchen sets to give people the means to prepare meals; water cans; and basic emergency shelter kits to provide protection from the storms that continue to pound the region. Our partners will also provide public health information to help prevent the outbreak and spread of disease among those whose homes and communities have been disrupted by the flooding.
As areas that were rendered inaccessible by the flooding open up, Oxfam will send in teams to assess the greatest needs of the affected communities.
