23 Sep 2010
Australian Aid I nternational (AAI) is a non-profit, non-government organisation committed to mitigating the double burden of poverty and poor access to quality health care in regions where health systems have either collapsed or are in crisis through the provision of emergency medical care, general and public health services and capacity building.
Over the course of the 2010 monsoon season, Pakistan experienced the worst floods in its history. Heavy rainfall, flash floods and riverine floods combined to create a moving body of water equal in dimension to the land mass of the United Kingdom.
The floods have affected more than 20 million people - one-tenth of Pakistan's population - devastating villages from the Himalayas to the Arabian Sea. More than 1,700 men, women and children have lost their lives, at least 1.8 million homes have been damaged or destroyed and more than 10 million people are currently living without shelter . In addition to a rising number of deaths, injuries and displacements, there is major damage to roads, bridges, infrastructure and livelihoods.
The most urgent needs of the population are food, clean drinking water, emergency shelter, medical care and non-food-items . However, access continues to be a serious challenge hampering relief efforts, especially in the lower Sindh district as flooding continues to occur around Manchar Lake.
Latest figures from provincial authorities in Sindh, where AAI are concentrating efforts - indicate that there are almost 1.5 million people in 4,200 relief camps in the province.
The floods in the Thatta District of Sindh have caused large movements of population in the area and hundreds of thousands of people have moved from their villages to seek refuge in the higher area of the district. As the water in some areas start to recede, affected persons are beginning to return to areas that have been largely damaged and lack any functioning infrastructure.
The needs of Internally Displaced People (IPDs) and returnees in this district are urgent and considerable as many people had to evacuate from their villages rapidly and therefore have little or nothing that they own and can use. Their lives are literally dependent on the humanitarian response, and at this point in time, the response has many areas in which it could be strengthened.
Public health is also of major concern, due to the lack of usable and safe water, minimal latrines to service the IDP camps and a poor hygiene practices in the camps.
Representatives from AAI have been coordinating with the local officials to determine priority areas of need of the affected people in the district. Rapid assessments by AAI have highlighted a high potential for diseases outbreaks of epidemic potential.
22 Sep 2010
AAI has been working closely with the United Nation (UN) coordination networks - including coordination with the newly UN Hub in Hyderabad - and local partners to provide disaster management expertise in areas health, water, sanitation and hygiene.
AAI has moved its Disaster Response and Assessment Team (DART) to the Sindh Province and has undertaken the necessary assessments in lower Sindh area to enable it to commence operations targeted to those most in need. Part of the initial assessment included gathering information from local partner organisations. AAI is concentrating program activities on supporting local partners and providing support in the areas of greater public health .
AAI has identified a number of priority projects and are assembling an international and local emergency healthcare team that will operate a field primary healthcare facility with a concentration on providing diarrhoeal treatment for expected outbreaks of infection diarrhoeal diseases, due to the lack of water for the affected populations.
AAI will use this as a platform for launching community healthcare, water, sanitation and hygiene initiatives, nutrition and emergency programs. The aim of these operations is to lead emergency interventions into longer term recovery programs which will also include, capacity building of local non-government organisations, healthcare workers, community volunteers, teachers and other community leaders, through training, equipping, resupplying, Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) initiatives, and reconstruction of health and educational facilities.
AAI adopts an integrated approach or "survival strategy" combining Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), health and nutrition. This ensures an integrated approach to its emergency response to minimise gaps in the provision of essential services and to ensure people that wherever possible a continuum of care is afforded to those in need.
AAI will focus on addressing the factors that contribute to the main mortality risks - acute diarrhoea, acute respiratory infections, malaria, measles, malnutrition, and maternal and neo-natal mortality/morbidity, building capacity and effecting behavioural change - having this approach is fundamental to achieving the desire humanitarian outcomes for vulnerable and IDP in Pakistan.