Flood 2022-Pakistan Needs Support

Pak Mission Society – GlobalGiving Report

Name of organization - Pak Mission Society

Donor - GlobalGiving

Legal status

• Registration act XXI of 1860 KPK Reg: # 477/5/5417
• Economic Affairs Division - Islamabad
• Permission from Deputy Commissioner Sindh
• District Health Officer Sindh
• Local Administration Sindh

Project Activity:  Food Packages Distribution  (28 Most Deserving Households)

Target Union Councils

• Hatgyngi Jgiru,
• Dguktar,
• Nabi Sar,
• Thar,
• NawabAbad. 

Reporting Period

April to July 2023

Title of Report

FLOOD 2022 – PAKISTAN NEEDS SUPPORT

About Pak Mission Society:

Pak Mission Society (PMS) is a national relief and development organization established in 2004 and registered on 13th February 2008 under the Societies’ Registration act XXI of 1860 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Economic Affairs Division (EAD), Government of Pakistan in November 2017.  PMS was founded by a group of Christian professionals whose collective vision is to bring hope and love by responding to human sufferings and disasters through emergency relief efforts and delivering long-term rehabilitation and development programme.  Since its establishment, PMS is serving unreached and underprivileged communities in impoverished areas regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, class, religion and social background.

Executive Summary:

Pak Mission Society (PMS) carried out relief responses for the flood survivors of the 2022 floods in Sindh, who were in terrible health and nutritional needs. The displaced populations ended up in a serious shortage of food supplies due to the washed away means of livelihoods, non-availability of food stuff and if available was out of reach as flooded communities lacked financial resources or buying power. PMS generated resources for life-saving needs, helped communities overcome shock, and stress to some extent in difficult situation when unhygienic living conditions, caused by the stagnant waters, which worsened day after day.  In the 2^nd quarter of 2023 PMS managed to provide free medical camp (healthcare services), as an additional support to the flood affected households who were initially short-listed for food-ration packages to improve their nutritional needs, in Sanghar district of Sindh, Pakistan.   

Project Objective:

• To provide food-ration packages to the most deserving families and improve their nutritional needs.
• To provide emergency health care services to women and girls in the flood affected areas in Sindh. 

Implementation Methodology:   As per the Sindh Chief Minister’s directive, and based on the area priority analysis of Pak Mission Society, organized free-medical camps for the worst-hit districts i.e. Sanghar and Umerkot in Sindh, province of Pakistan (To augment food-ration response supported by GlobalGiving).  PMS engaged local community leaders and elders in identifying the most deserving 28 families, among these 20% were women-headed or widows. While other households critically lacked financial backstopping and lost everything tangible they had.  Target communities were mobilized to encourage women and girls to come forward to discuss health issues with the female healthcare workers at the camp. Females in the reproductive age group were facilitated as per their needs.

Activity:  PMS distributed food-ration packages to the 28 most deserving households in Sanghar (Sindh), Pakistan, and over 200 beneficiaries were able to have food stock for two weeks.  While organizing six medical camps in poorly attended areas/villages including Hatgyngi Jgiru, Dguktar, Nabi Sar, Thar, and Nawab-Abad.  The target populations were diagnosed with respiratory complications, skin diseases, diarrhea, dietary and digestion issues, joint pain, oral infections, etc.  The free medical camps were augmented to support the stressed households to avail critical medical care in the most difficult circumstances free of charge.  The medical camps offered consultations, first-aid, life-saving medicines, hepatitis screenings, blood pressure checkups, etc. 

Challenges:

• The affected areas were heavily flooded and access to beneficiaries was difficult or it was equally hard for women and children to reach out for life-saving services both healthcare and food-ration packages due to poor transport and road damages.
• Special arrangements were made to facilitate elderly and women who lacked means of transportation to arrive at distribution and free medical camp sites.
• PMS medical team selected, poorly covered areas with consultations with the district administration and community leaders. 
• Adequate awareness messages were share on communicable and non-communicable diseases.

The Lesson Learned:

• There is an urgent need for sensitization about preventative healthcare, and rationalization about the use of medicines to prevent self-medication. 
• The growing malnutrition requires immediate attention and there should be a planned response towards improving livelihoods through indigenous skills, restoring agro-based value-chain, and unskilled labor avenues.  

Co-ordination with Government:

PMS has established long-standing goodwill relationships with the district administration and health departments at the provincial level and district levels. Hence, prior consultations and selection of target areas were prioritized on the recommendations of government stakeholders, to avoid duplications and maintain a well-balanced response with inclusivity at the grassroots level.  

Co-ordination with other Projects

PMS generated its resources for the food-ration packages for the flood-hit areas in Sindh, Pakistan, and had carried out a number of food ration distributions reaching out to more than 100 households, most impoverished and needy, benefiting 1000 individuals to date.  Ever since the floods of 2022 the situation of stagnant water continued to deteriorate which caused serious health ailments for the residents, which included skin, respiratory, and digestive diseases.  In order to manage the efficient use of available limited resources, it was most advisable to set up free medical camps for flood-affected families who were also part of the food-ration packages beneficiary headcount.

The project has contribuited in re-habilitating the lives of the 880 households whose lives were badly affected by the Floods 2022. 80 beneficiaries were specifically benefitted during the reporting period. The Project team held need assessment for the selection of deserving affected beneficiaries/families Assessment conducted in 2 most flood affected Union Councils Talpur Wadda and Pacca Chang. These Union Councils were allocated by District Administration, ADC Mr. Zafar, further, he also intimated PMS that mentioned Union council are in a remote area of District Khairpur and Nawabshah where food and NFI support has not been initiated by the Government and humanitarian organizations. In addition to this, crops, livestock, houses, health, infrastructure and community social and physical infrastructure is almost abolished so these areas should be considered priority areas. In these areas’ interventions such as constructions of shelter homes prone to disaster need to constructed further more provision of resilient crops that can sustain in flood water should be ensured. Given still flood water was present, de-watering is also needed.

Criteria for Selection of Beneficiaries

a)      Family whose house has been fully/partially damaged.

b)     Household who lost their livestock.

c)      Household whose standing crops havebeen washed away

d)     Family having Persons with disabilities.

e)     Family having Person with chronic diseases.

f)       Widow responsible for household livelihood/Women headed household.

g)      Household who did not received any assistance

h)     Household who need urgent food assistance

Token Distribution

Tokens were distributed to beneficiaries with the detail of distribution point and date.

The PM ensured distribution plans with the following points in mind;

1. The distribution point is central to beneficiaries.
2. The distribution point is security wise safe and capacious.
3. The distribution point is easily accessible through commercial vehicles.
4. The manageable size will be planned for single day.
5.  Distribution point is easily identifiable through placing of banners, standees etc.
6. Distribution point has a focal person and is accessible to Persons with Disabilities.

• Achievements/ Results

Name of activities/Measures

Planned

Achieved

Outputs 

• Output 1:
• 80 food packages through support from GlobalGiving  distributed to effected communities in Khairpur and Nawabshah..
• Outcome :1
• Targeted community’s food needs are covered for at least 2 months.

Transparency and Accountability:

Sphere and Humanitarian Accountability Partnership (HAP) standards of Quality and Accountability followed by Flood Response Team. Comprehensive feedback form was developed and  disseminated among the beneficiaries and banners were properly placed. MEAL officer visited target areas regularly to get feedback from beneficiaries to ensure transparency.

• At distribution sites, the packages were dumped one day before, for quality checking
• Project Team ensured Visibility at Distribution Point.
• A comprehensive check list for distribution in line with CHS standards  was followed to ensure smooth and effective distribution of food items.
• The Field Team was prepared distribution ground with following arrangements
  1. The registration/endorsement table
  2. The token distribution table
  3. The waiting area.
  4. Designated area for Persons with disabilities.

Coordination and Monitoring:

Project team held 02 Meetings with District Administration (DC, AC) and 2 Meetings with Local elders for the smooth implementation of Project Activities and to share the information accordingly.

PMS distributed 55 food packages in Khairpur and 25 in district Nawabshah among most flood-affected identified families.

Our stakeholders (District Administration and Local elders) actively participated and supported at all levels. District Administration provided security during all distribution.

Risks, Challenges and Mitigation Strategies

Project team faced following challenges in the field during project time line.

1. Political Pressure- Political leaders trying to influence on the selection of target beneficiaries. Leaders wanted their constituency to benefit the most so that their vote bank could be strengthened.
2. NO-Access to target areas.
3. Community Pressure on selection of target area. Every community wanted the most benefit from the project intervention.
4. Security challenge as distribution lead to an influx of community members not in the beneficiary list.

Mitigation Measures

Project Team involved district administration to address the political pressure while all other challenges were resolved through strong mobilization by involving local committees and community leaders/elders

Project team mobilized targeted Community to travel to distribution point (out of targeted area)

List of Items in Food Package:

Wheat flour bags             20 kgs

Oil                                    5 kgs

Rice                                 10 kgs (two bags, 5 kg each)

Pulses Mong                    2 kgs

Pulses Masoor                 2 kgs

Pulses Chana                  2 kgs

Wheat Porridge               3 kgs

Salt                                 800 gms

Fine Sugar                     5 kgs

Red chili                        1 packet

Black pepper                 1 packet

Thermic powder            1 packet

Tea Tipal Danedar       430 gms

Biscuits Digestive       1 box (24 x1= 24 packs)

Biscuits Tiger              16 boxes (24x16=

Matchbox

Lessons Learned

Project team covered only 80 beneficiaries for food packages while still 90% papulation remained non-facilitated in the targeted area.There is still a scarcity of food in the affected area which needs to be addressed. As outlined earlier, apart from food items for long term resilience and rehabilitation, the community needs smart agricultural input, cash grants and rehabilitation of water resources.