The Community Foundation

Ways to assist Pakistanis in the wake of massive flooding

August 16th, 2010

Categories: Disaster relief

In the last week of July 2010, torrential rains caused devastating floods in large parts of Pakistan. As many as 1,500 people have died in what officials have called Pakistan’s worst flooding in 70 years and has affected the lives of nearly 14 million people, according to estimates from the United Nations. The number is expected to grow significantly as flood waters pass through Southern parts of the country and as information from remote areas become more available.

 Situational Information and General Resources on Disaster Grantmaking To assist its members and the field with leadership and guidance on global disasters, the Council on Foundations compiles timely, crisis-specific resources, available at www.cof.org/disasterresponse<http://www.cof.org/disasterresponse>, including links to eight principles for disaster management, legal FAQs, and templates for your foundation’s disaster preparedness and recovery plans.

In addition, below are resources specific to the Pakistan floods:

 *         The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs<http://ochaonline.un.org/OCHAHome/WhereWeWork/Pakistan/PakistanFloods/tabid/6844/language/en-US/Default.aspx> (OCHA)

 *         ReliefWeb<http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/dbc.nsf/doc108?OpenForm&rc=3&emid=FL-2010-000141-PAK>: A project of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. This Web site serves as a clearing house for information related to the earthquakes and ongoing situational reports<http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/srch.nsf/doc304SearchResults?OpenForm&query=%22pakistan%20floods%22&view=rwrwb&offset=0&hits=25&sortby=rwpubdate&sortdirection=descending&mode=simpleall&dt=%22Situation%20Reports%22> on the Pakistan floods.

 *         AlertNet<http://www.alertnet.org/db/crisisprofiles/PK_FLO.htm>: A humanitarian news network from the Reuters Foundation that provides detailed news updates on the extent of damage and ongoing humanitarian relief efforts.

 *         InterAction<http://www.interaction.org/crisis-list/interaction-members-respond-floods-pakistan>, the largest alliance of U.S.-based international nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), lists their members responding to the floods in Pakistan.

 *         Give2Asia launched a Pakistan Flood Relief Fund<http://www.give2asiaforum.org/home/2010/08/give2asia-establishes-pakistan-flood-relief-fund.html> after receiving initial commitments of $30,000 from private donors wishing to help survivors.