Posted on: 5 September 2022
Monday, 05 September 2022
Dear colleagues
Floods in Pakistan: a message of solidarity from Rob Webster CBE, CEO Lead for West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership, Kate Sims Director of People, NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board and Fatima Khan-Shah, Convenor of the Partnership’s Race Equality Network.
Our Partnership and the Race Equality Network share deep concerns regarding the impact of the devastating floods in Pakistan.
More than one thousand people have died including children, as ravaging floods displace millions of people and damage more than one million homes in multiple districts across the country.
We know that many members of our Partnership will have been affected by these devastating events and our thoughts and prayers are with all our workforce colleagues from Pakistani heritage, victims of the flood and their families.
Over 33 million people are estimated to be affected, with more than 500,000 people living in relief camps around the country. In addition, almost 710,000 livestock are lost, and thousands of kilometres of roads and bridges destroyed. People are surviving without clean water, food, and shelter.
An urgent appeal has been launched by the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) to help millions of people affected by devastating floods in Pakistan, which we are promoting in case you would like to donate.
DEC charities are coordinating closely with local authorities and the United Nations Agencies to help meet the needs of those affected, complementing the government-led response in Pakistan. The UK government has said it will match pound-for-pound the first £5m raised by the DEC appeal. Donations to the DEC’s Pakistan Floods Appeal can be made through their website.
The following donations give an idea of what help can be provided:
- £10 could provide vital hygiene supplies for two people
- £50 could provide emergency shelter for two families
- £100 could provide food for two families for a month.
According to the Pakistan Red Crescent Society, the largest humanitarian organisation in Pakistan: “The situation is worsening by the day. The torrential floods have severely restricted transportation and mobility. The threat of COVID-19 and damage to vehicles, infrastructure and connectivity are further making our emergency relief works almost impossible. We fear the worst is yet to come as these kinds of waters could mean the risk of water-borne diseases are looming over the heads of our people."
The current rain spell and floods has impacted the already thousands of vulnerable and deprived communities, where many are yet to recover from the effects of COVID-19. They are now in an even worse situation after these floods. Compounding effects from the pandemic are making it difficult for humanitarian organisations to immediately address and respond to the needs of those affected.
We know that many members of our Partnership will have been affected by these devastating events and our thoughts and prayers are with all our workforce colleagues from Pakistani heritage, the victims of the flood and their families. We would like to pay tribute and thank everyone involved in the relief efforts.
Best wishes
Rob, Kate, and Fatima