<FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE>
ShelterBox is responding to devastating monsoon flooding in Pakistan
- Rare cloudbursts – sudden downpours dumping over 100mm of rain in just one hour – have triggered flash floods in the northwest of Pakistan, sweeping through mountain villages and causing widespread destruction.
- Tens of thousands have been displaced and over one hundred have lost their lives
- ShelterBox is responding. We have teams on the ground and are looking to send another team to Islamabad in the coming days.
- Emergency shelter, water purification and mosquito nets are vital after flooding. ShelterBox has aid stored in Pakistan and Dubai.
Pakistan’s monsoon season always brings heavy rain, but this year’s storms have been unusually intense. Rare cloudbursts – sudden downpours dumping over 100mm of rain in just one hour – have triggered flash floods in the northwest, sweeping through mountain villages and causing widespread destruction.
Local communities are used to monsoon rains, but the intensity and speed of these cloudbursts caught people off guard – destroying homes and sweeping away entire villages. Homes have been crushed by flood water and landslides. People have described watching everything they own being washed away or buried.
ShelterBox has a team in Pakistan and we are looking to send another team to Islamabad in the coming days. Our teams will work closely with our in-country partner – Islamic Relief Pakistan (IRP) on how best to support people displaced by flooding and landslides.
We have shelter and other essential items available in Pakistan and Dubai so we’re ready to respond in these moments, given how vulnerable the country is to extreme weather and other disasters. Items like shelter repair kits, water purification and mosquito nets are vital after flooding events.
It’s peak monsoon season and more heavy rain is expected, so we’re focusing on what people need and where that need is highest. We know there’s been significant damage to homes, roads, and crops and we’re gathering as much information as we can.
ShelterBox has responded in Pakistan before, to severe flooding in 2022 as well as to flooding in 2012 and an earthquake in 2013.
Donations can be made at www.shelterboxcanada.org to support our efforts.
About ShelterBox Canada:
ShelterBox provides shelter, essential items, and technical assistance to help some of the world’s most vulnerable people recover and rebuild their homes after disaster. ShelterBox is currently responding in Burkin Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Somalia, Gaza, Myanmar, Yemen and Pakistan.
ShelterBox’s aid items include a variety of emergency shelter types, as well as solar lanterns, warm clothing and blankets, water filters and carriers, tools, tarpaulins, hygiene kits, cash assistance, and more. Aid is customized for each response because every community has unique needs.
The charity has been Rotary International’s project partner in disaster relief since 2012. ShelterBox has supported more than 3 million people since it was founded in 2000 and was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2018 and 2019 for its work in conflict zones. ShelterBox Canada is based near Toronto, ON.
For interviews, please contact:
Stephanie Christensen, Executive Director
[email protected]
647-352-1930
