Humanitarian Aid: HOPE for the flood victims in Pakistan

The project “HOPE for the flood victims” was successfully completed in 8 months between 1st of October 2010 and 31st of May 2011 achieving all the targets and objectives. This programme was co-financed by the Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC) and supported by the UNESCO Foundation – Education for Children in Need and implemented with the support of the local partner “Strengthening Participatory Organization (SPO)”. During the project three Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) water supply schemes and 30 communal water supply sources (dug wells) were rehabilitated and restored. Furthermore, 2,750 water storage kits and 2,750 hygiene kits were distributed. Public awareness sessions were also conducted regarding health and hygiene promotion as well as public demonstrations displaying the correct use of hygiene kits and aqua tabs. Hence there has been a 78.6 % increase in hygienic practices and knowledge of 2,750 families was reported in a post KAP (Knowledge, Attitude and Practices) study. 4,000 meters of drainage channels were cleaned by involving 211 cash for work (CFW) beneficiaries in phase I, while in phase II 2,728 households participated in a village white wash and cleaning campaign with the support of 111 CFW supervisors. Special attention was paid to addressing specific needs of women. This also meant that from the needs assessment onwards women were involved in all the processes.

Project Background: 

Pakistan was hit by its history’s worst ever floods in July and August 2010. The floods affected 78 out of a total of 141 districts in Pakistan, covering one third of its geographical area, affecting more than 18 million people (one tenth of Pakistan’s population), and devastated villages across the entire country, from the Himalayas to the Arabian Sea. An estimated area of 50,000 square kilometres was ravaged, 2.2 million hectares of standing crops were destroyed and half a million livestock were lost. There were 1,980 deaths confirmed, 1.7 million homes and 10,000 schools were damaged or destroyed.