Disaster Response Pakistan Project #57017

Responding to Floods in Pakistan

Project Report | Aug 22, 2023
Cyclone Biparjoy adds to flooding woes in Pakistan

By Michael Hall | Senior Advisor

Cyclone Biparjoy made landfall at approximately 7 p.m. local time on Thursday, June 15, between Karachi, Pakistan, and Mandvi in Gujrat, India. According to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), the storm has been categorized as a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm (Category 3). The maximum speed of sustained surface wind is 111 km/h, rising to 139 km/h around the center of the system. Landfall generated a surge storm of about 2 to 3 meters at the coastal belt, which is likely to inundate low-lying areas and settlements.

The government of Pakistan has established 75 relief camps in the districts of Badin, Kemari, Korangi, Malir, Sujawal and Thatta. More than 65,000 people already have been relocated or evacuated, either to camps or to public buildings, with plans to evacuate up to 100,000 people. The Ministry of Climate Change, NDMA and the Provincial Disaster Management Authority for Sindh are leading preparedness efforts, with relevant government institutions, Army/Navy, Rescue 1122, Pakistan Meteorological Department sharing daily briefings with the humanitarian community. The sectors have completed stock mapping and are on standby for any required support needed in the event of a post-landfall emergency.

International Medical Corps Response

International Medical Corps, with support from the District Health Department of Hyderabad, Sindh, are responding to the needs of displaced people by providing medical assistance in relief camps established in Sajawal district, in Sindh province. We have deployed two mobile medical teams to the relief camps, with each team consisting of a doctor, a lady health visitor, a pharmacist, a community mobiliser and two facility assistants.

Our medical teams are providing consultations and essential medicines for a range of conditions, including lacerations, blunt trauma and puncture wounds, diarrhea, acute respiratory infections, malaria, skin and eye infections, and snake bites. The mobile medical teams have been equipped with one week's worth of medical stock. International Medical Corps’ mobile medical team in Chach Jehan Khan village has already provided consultations and dispensed medicine to 180 displaced people. We have also donated a number of essential medical supplies to the Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governments’ cyclone response efforts.

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Apr 21, 2023
Many Parts of Pakistan Still Struggle With Floods

By Michael Hall | Senior Advisor

The deadly floods in Pakistan have affected around 33 million —or one in seven— people in the country, according to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).

According to the latest field reports, flood-affected people in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh provinces are increasingly vulnerable to acute respiratory infections, typhoid and painful skin conditions. The prevalence of diarrheal diseases has increased in these areas due to and consumption of contaminated water. These physical ailments, combined with non-functional health facilities and low stocks of essential medicines and supplies, have increased the risk of mental health problems in communities.

International Medical Corps Response

We have deployed 11 mobile medical teams (MMTs) in severely affected districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh that are providing emergency medical assistance and essential medicines to underserved and displaced community members. Eight of the teams are working in Sindh, targeting Dadu, Jamshoro and Mirpur Khas, while the rest of the teams are operational in the Charsadda district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and have become static as of last month, providing services in government-supported Basic Health Units. Our MMTs have reached 105,554 people in both provinces since the onset of the floods: 29,741 people in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 75,813 in Sindh. Our teams have reached 35,074 people through general health and hygiene awareness-raising sessions, and have reached 85,464 people through awareness sessions we conducted on GBV and MHPSS in floodaffected areas of Sindh.

We also have provided more than 8,074,702 liters of potable water to affected populations in Dadu and Mirpurkhas districts through water trucking. We provided 701,644 liters of water to the flood-affected communities of Mirpurkhas through our solar-powered mobile reverse-osmosis plant, which converts contaminated flood water into safe drinking water. We have also provided 96,880 aqua tablets to people since the start of our flood response.

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Dec 22, 2022
Recovering From Historic Flooding in Pakistan

By Michael Hall | Senior Specialist

Heavy rains and floods in Pakistan have affected more than one-third of the country and caused more than 1,700 deaths. Five months after the disaster, more than 6 million people remain in dire need of humanitarian assistance. According to reports from the field, more than 40% of those affected people are still living along roads in temporary shelters in unsanitary conditions, often with limited access to basic services—thus heightening the risk of a major public health crisis.

The floodwaters have started receding in many districts of Sindh and Balochistan, and families have started returning to their villages, but vulnerabilities remain due to a lack of adequate shelter, tents and food items, including safe drinking water. Cases of water and vector-borne diseases continue to remain a major concern, due to stagnant water that is still present in their communities. Among other challenges, low stocks of essential medicines and medical supplies continue to pose hurdles to providing adequate health services to people in need. Moreover, the winter season in many of the affected areas is fast approaching and is likely to negatively affect the population in the coming weeks. Without adequate shelters and blankets, it is likely the health situation of those affected will quickly worsen.

According to United Nations Population Fund, around 5.1 million women in affected areas are of childbearing age and 410,846 are currently pregnant, with 136,950 expected to give birth in the next few months.

The floods have also aggravated food insecurity and malnutrition, as the agricultural land in flood-affected areas is still inundated and livestock has perished. About 14.6 million people will likely require emergency food assistance from December 2022 through March 2023. According to the latest National Nutrition Survey estimates, almost 1.6 million children in Sindh and Balochistan are at risk of malnutrition that will require treatment, and stunting rates among children will rise if they do not receive treatment in a timely manner.

International Medical Corps is supporting the Department of Health in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh provinces by providing medical assistance through consultations and essential medicines for a variety of conditions, including diarrhea, acute respiratory infections, malaria, skin and eye infections, snake bites and typhoid. We also are providing water purification tablets to thousands of people in both districts.

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