Since June 2022, Pakistan has been bombarded by severe monsoon weather. As of August 27, rainfall in the country is equivalent to 2.9 times the national average. The extreme weather has caused widespread flooding and landslides, leading to the destruction of property and infrastructure. There has also been an enormous impact on human lives: Since June 14, an estimated 1,033 people have been killed and 1,527 people injured, with those numbers expected to increase with the continued rain.

Approximately 33 million people in Pakistan have been impacted by the disaster. Some of the most urgent needs among those affected are those in the area of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH). People are in need of WASH support due to contaminated water and limited access to hygiene items.

The contamination of water supply and destruction of water filtration systems in Pakistan exacerbated ongoing disease outbreaks. The World Health Organization noted the increased spread of illnesses like acute watery diarrhoea, dengue fever, malaria, polio, and COVID-19 after the flood.

In response to the outbreaks of diarrheals and other communicable diseases, our team distributed oral rehydration salts and other medicines to prevent minor cases from developing into life threatening illnesses.

We are also working to provide access to clean drinking water both with large point of use systems being used in affected villages and through the provision of Family Emergency Kits. Twenty two large scale systems were purchased locally and the Rapid Response Team (RRT) carried two AquaResponse3 systems into Pakistan with them. The Family Emergency Kits (FEKs) provide an at home water purification solution as well as essential hygiene supplies. These units allow families to have access to clean drinking water for up to a year which will be crucial in maintaining their health through the recovery phase of this disaster. To date we have distributed 4,500 FEKs in multiple flood affected regions. More are on the way.

We also provided food hampers to families affected by the flooding. These hampers include a mixture of culturally appropriate staple goods like flour, rice, chickpeas, date, oil and sugar, and are procured and packed in Pakistan, supporting the local economy. To date, we have distributed 10,000 food hampers in some of the hardest hit communities. The needs in Pakistan are immense and our teams continue to evaluate the situation on the ground so we can be mobile and adaptive in our response.

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