The Pakistan Flooding Crisis - New Blog from Minister Peter Power
Posted on 26/08/10 by Peter Power
People across Ireland have been horrified in recent weeks as the appalling flooding disaster has been revealed. Since the first reports of flooding in early August, the world’s media has brought us terribly distressing images on our television screens as the floods affect increasing numbers of people across the country – more than seventeen million people are now affected.
For anyone who hasn’t been able to follow the details of the crisis, here are some of the facts:
It is estimated that as many as 1,600 people have already died as a result of the flooding after huge monsoon rainfall hit the country. The final death toll won’t be clear until the waters recede.
More than 17 million people have been directly affected by the floods. 10 million have lost homes, livestock or crops.
The World Health Organisation is warning that diseases are spreading rapidly. One UN official has reported that 3.5 million children are at high risk of deadly water borne diseases such as dysentery and watery diarrhoea.
This is a crisis almost beyond imagination; the number of people being impacted is just staggering.
The Government has so far committed €2 million in funding towards the initial humanitarian effort.
This is by far the most urgent humanitarian crisis taking place in the world today. I would encourage all Irish people to continue to do what they can to help the humanitarian effort. Our Irish NGOs are heavily involved in the aid effort and the public has been hugely generous to date with over €2.5 million raised.
A useful web site for people wishing to support the relief effort is www.howyoucanhelp.ie. Updates on the crisis and information on donating are also available on the web sites of the Irish NGOs.
More information on the support being provided by the Government, through the Irish Aid programme, is available here:
Hopefully the flooding will soon start to subside. However, in the meantime Ireland will continue to play its part in helping the international relief effort.
Peter Power is TD for Limerick East and Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs, with special responsibility for Overseas Development.
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