The Situation:
Community Services Program, Pakistan, has been a Rockflower partner for over a decade. Since 2012 we have partnered with them on projects across a spectrum of our Five Key framework - maternal and reproductive health, economic empowerment, peace and security and education. The most recent being the exciting Bridging the Digital Divide: From Colombia to Pakistan, bringing digital literacy to rural and remote communities.
However at this moment CSP and 45,000 people in the communities they serve are struggling against the magnitude of the recent catastrophic flooding. Right now, over one third of Pakistan is covered in water, that is the equivalent to the whole of Colorado.
Mr. Siddique Hussain, Chairman of Community Services Pakistan has been traveling to the affected areas in the last two weeks and shared the following:
“I am traveling in the flood affected areas and have assessed that the natural calamity of the floods in Pakistan occurring in various parts of the country needs our immediate attention. With the immense destruction we are facing it is essential to provide rations, medical aid and assistance provision for the flood affectees who have lost their healthcare mechanisms due to this aggressive flooding. Especially females are being neglected and their essential needs, including basic hygiene and sanitary items. This is the time to stand together for humanity.”
The background to the flooding:
What is causing this unprecedented flooding? Pakistan is home to 7,200 glaciers and they are melting fast. This is a direct effect of an increasingly warming planet, caused by global emissions. Pakistan is responsible for just 1% of those global emissions but will be one of the top 8 countries in the world subject to its devastating effects.
The knock on effect of these melting glaciers are a series of dominos waiting to fall.
“In the mountains of Pakistan, water from glaciers forms high-elevation lakes, which are often dammed by glacial ice. When there’s too much runoff, those lakes quickly expand and the ice dams can break, producing what’s called a “glacial lake outburst.” - VOX
Pakistan’s climate minister, Sherry Rehman in an interview with The Guardian, makes the case for why rich nations must make reparations for the catastrophic consequences of their actions.
“Historic injustices have to be heard and there must be some level of climate equation so that the brunt of the irresponsible carbon consumption is not being laid on nations near the equator which are obviously unable to create resilient infrastructure on their own,” - Sherry Lehman, Climate minister
Getting Assistance to where it is needed:
Add to this crisis the discrimination some Islamic charities are feeling in the rush to provide help as some are facing concern over bank derisking practices.
“Pakistan is far from the only country where humanitarian responses by Islamic NGOs have seen their financial services disrupted by banks. Payments have also gone missing without explanation for programs in Syria, Somalia, and Afghanistan, according to Itani and others in the sector — all places deemed high risk by banks, but also with Muslim majority populations.
Financial services to NGOs serving Ukraine, meanwhile, have largely gone smoothly, which has heightened a sense of discrimination that’s being felt by some in Muslim organizations, who also see their work as part of religious duty. “ DEVEX
By having a ten year relationship with CSP we are able to get immediate relief to people.
We have already provided direct support in the form of food aid, but so much more is needed. As a fund that specializes in early stage investment into previously underfunded community based organizations and social enterprises, emergency relief is not our usual remit. However, we cannot sit back and watch as one of our foundational partners struggles to meet the enormous needs of its constituents.
Please consider any donation amount to assist those who are currently struggling to get through the day.
$43 buys a food pack for one family for 30 days
$23 buys a food pack for a family for 15 days
$13 buys a food pack for a family for 7 days