Washington, D.C., May 19, 2009-World Vision says today's announcement by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to send $100 million in emergency aid to Pakistan is a great "first step" to help the people caught in the midst of the conflict there.
"There is no question that the situation in Pakistan is becoming more and more urgent every day," said Robert Zachritz, World Vision's director of advocacy and government relations. "With nearly 1.5 million people now displaced from their homes, the burden on aid agencies like World Vision to respond has become great. In humanitarian crises like these, there is often a finite amount of resources to go around, but with today's announcement of an additional $100 million in emergency aid from the United States government, that will be a great 'first step' to getting the Pakistani people the help they so desperately need right now."
Earlier this week, World Vision's emergency response teams began distributing relief supplies, including kitchen utensils, mattresses, cooking supplies, and hygiene kits to nearly 2,300 people displaced in the country, but the aid agency is concerned that lack of funds for this emergency could limit its plans to provide aid to thousands more over the next six months. The recent announcement of additional financial resources from the United States government will provide much-needed aid to those who need it most in Pakistan.
It is estimated that more than 85 percent of the estimated 1.5 million displaced people are residing in "host communities" where friends, family members, and local authorities have opened up their homes or other temporary shelters to house additional people. World Vision is undertaking small-scale distributions and, in some cases, door-to-door delivery of relief supplies to help ease the burden of resources for these families who were living in poverty before the conflict began and are now often overwhelmed by the influx of displaced people they are caring for.
World Vision has been working in Pakistan since 1992, focusing on emergency relief and response, child protection, HIV and AIDS awareness, sustainable economic development through programs like organic farming, health and hygiene, and empowering women through vocational training and literacy programs.
The public can help by visiting www.worldvision.org or calling 1.888.56.CHILD (1-888-562-4453).
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World Vision staff in Washington, D.C. and Pakistan are available for interviews. Contact Laura Blank at 646.245.2496 or lblank@worldvision.org.
World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice.
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
Internally displaced men, fleeing a military offensive in the Swat valley region, hold down a tent during a dust storm at the UNHCR (United Nations High Commission for Refugees) Jalozai camp, ...
