However, in light of the devastating flooding in other parts of the country, SOS Children's Villages Pakistan has offered to care for the vulnerable children found temporarily, or permanently, without the care of their parents, as identified by the appropriate authorities.
Mrs. Souriya Anwar, President of SOS Children's Villages Pakistan, states: "Fortunately none of the SOS facilities anywhere in the country are affected, nor are they are likely to be in the future, as they are in safe areas. However, as you are aware large areas of the country and millions of people are affected. We have offered to the concerned authorities in all regions that we will take responsibility for any orphaned, abandoned, lost child."
In a first phase of emergency efforts, SOS Children's Villages Pakistan will channel food packages through a local NGO, the Concerned Citizens Society of Pakistan (CCP).
SOS Children's Villages Pakistan will purchase the food supplies locally
(mainly flour, vegetables, oil etc.), make the packages and hand them over to CCP for distribution to affected families in the northern areas of Pakistan and in the south of the province of Punjab. Ramadan has also started; therefore it is even more essential that people are provided with food which is produced locally.
SOS will also support the Fatima Memorial Hospital System in sending teams of medical personnel to the areas affected by flooding. It is hoped that medications may be sent in the coming weeks, if funding allows.
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Photo:
Reuters/Adrees Latifcourtesy www.alertnet.org |
Providing support in coordination with these reliable partners is most effective as they are located closer to the areas in need of assistance.
More help is needed to protect the children and families affected by this catastrophe, now and in the long term.
Please Make adonation to our Emergency Pakistan Appeal today.
On August 22, 2010 the federal government announced it will match funds raised by charities for Pakistan flood relief between August 2nd and October 3rd, 2010.
If you donate in the period, your donation will have double the impact.
SOS in Pakistan:
SOS began operations in Pakistan in 1975. Since then, operations have grown to serve children and their communities through 8 SOS Children's Villages in Pakistan, 1 SOS Children's Home, 6 SOS Youth Facilities, 6 SOS Hermann Gmeiner Schools, 5 SOS Vocational Training Centres, 5 SOS Social Centres, 1 SOS Medical Centre, and 1 SOS Emergency Relief Programme.
This is not the first time SOS Pakistan works with the CCP; they collaborated successfully to get emergency aid to where it was needed most after Pakistan suffered a devastating earthquake in 2005.
