Monday, January 31, 2011

Pakistan: six months after the floods

The Independent, Januaary 31, 2011

Six months ago Pakistan experienced some of the worst flooding on record. Seventy-year-old Langkhan was among the millions of people forced to flee their homes. Department for International Development/Victoria Francis
Six months ago Pakistan experienced some of the worst flooding on record. Seventy-year-old Langkhan was among the millions of people forced to flee their homes.

It has been six months since devastating floods first hit Pakistan, killing nearly two thousand people, destroying some 10,000 schools, two million homes, and hundreds of bridges, roads, electricity pylons. More than two million hectares of crops were destroyed or damaged. In total some 14 million people were displaced, forced to abandon their homes.  
The floods are the worst the world has ever recorded, with parts of southern Pakistan still under several feet of water. However, the vast majority of people forced to flee from the floods have now returned to what's left of their homes, and started to try and rebuild their lives.

The UK government was one of the first to respond and has helped millions of people like those pictured here, by providing shelter, food, seeds, blankets, safe drinking water, toilets, medical care, hygiene kit, and more.

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