Dubai: UAE residents, especially Pakistani expatriates, are donating generously to help victims of the recent floods, which have been the worst in the history of the country.
The floods and torrential rains have so far killed 1,600 people and left four million homeless, while more than half a million houses have been damaged.
The massive floods have swept through the Khyber Pakhtookhawa province, followed by the Punjab and Sindh provinces, causing widespread destruction and leading to a major humanitarian crisis. Donations and relief aid have started pouring in from around the world to help people trapped in flood waters.
Individual help
Though the Pakistan Association in Dubai (PAD) is leading the campaign in the UAE to help the flood victims, several small groups and individuals here have also begun raising funds and relief goods.
The PAD has already sent a team of eight members to Pakistan to distribute relief goods amongst the people.
"We have received a tremendous response, not only from Pakistanis, but from other communities in the UAE," Riaz Farooq Sahi, president of the PAD, told Gulf News yesterday.
He added that the association plans to send two container loads of relief goods to Pakistan today.
"It's time that everyone chips in. We're sending medicines and food items by air, while things like tents and clothes are being sent by sea shipment," he said.
Sahi appealed to the community to donate cash because it would help provide an immediate supply of food and medicine.
"We have purchased and distributed 1,000 food packages yesterday," he said, explaining that a food package, which costs some Dh500, includes rice, flour, sugar, tea and other eatables, which are enough for a family of five to survive on, for 15 to 20 days.
Sahi, who came from Pakistan where he visited the flood-affected areas pointed out that people there don't have access to clean drinking water and are threatened by waterborne diseases.
"All they need immediately is drinking water, food and medicines," he said.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Consulate General in Dubai has also appealed to the community to donate generously.
Counsellor, Fareed Ashghar Jadoon, has been designated as the person in charge of coordinating the relief operation from the UAE.
Plea to community
Jadoon told Gulf News that he will be coordinating with the community, as well as Pakistani associations and social centres, across the UAE, to step up the relief effort.
He said community members can also send donations directly to the Pakistani Prime Minister's relief fund and urged all people to come forward and join in helping the Pakistanis at this very difficult time.
The Pakistan Business Council in Dubai has also appealed to its members and the business community to donate generously.
How to help
For donations and relief goods please contact the Pakistan Association in Dubai: 04-3373632
Have you donated anything? Do you think enough is being done to help the people in Pakistan? What more could be done to encourage people to help out?
