Oxfam Canada

Published purpose

September 16, 2010 - Pakistan is experiencing its worst monsoon flooding in at least 80 years. Government estimates put the number of people affected by the floods at 21 million. Millions of people have been displaced and over 1.8 million houses have been either damaged or destroyed. Assessments to establish the degree to which affected populations are in need of immediate humanitarian assistance continue. CIDA is supporting Oxfam Canada to address the suffering and vulnerability in flood-affected areas in Azad Jammu Kashrnir (AJK), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), Sindh and Punjab by improving access to safe water supply, sanitation facilities, and hygiene promotion. Specific project activities include: trucking in emergency drinking water; distributing household-level water treatment supplies; rehabilitating drinking water systems; disinfecting water supply systems; constructing latrines, hand washing facilities, bathing places, and drainage facilities; providing hygiene education and messages to affected populations; and distributing hygiene and family kits. Oxfam works closely with local government officials to ensure coordination of the emergency response, and targets the most vulnerable flood-affected families.