January 28, 2010
Pakistan floods: six months on

Six months since the floods that devastated much of Pakistan, causing 2,000 deaths and displacing 20 million people, the lasting effects of the disaster continue to overshadow daily life.

Diseases caused by the polluted waters and lack of sanitation still linger today, and many struggle to earn a living after crops were destroyed in the floods.

With the loss of so much of the country's communication network and infrastructure, this continues to be one of the worst crises in Pakistan's history.

While WaterAid is not an emergency relief organization, we are committed to bringing life-saving support to some of the worst flood-affected communities and ensuring our long term plans for sustainable water and sanitation services continue.

Through local partners, our relief efforts have already reached over 130,000 people displaced by the floods.

WaterAid helped educate people about the importance of clean water, encouraging people to either boil it or use tablets and told them they must wash their hands, especially before eating.

Our support has encompassed the provision of safe drinking water and the distribution of essential hygiene kits, together with holding hygiene education sessions and building temporary toilets as well as working with other agencies to provide support for non-water/sanitation needs.

Sindh province was the worst affected area in the country, with 80 per cent of the population forced from their homes. WaterAid has helped 12,323 families in the region, providing nearly 300,000 aqua tabs, 250 water coolers, over 4,000 hygiene kits and other life-saving resources.

>> Watch slideshow of WaterAid's work helping people affected by the floods

Munawar Hassan, WaterAid's Program Manager in the region, said: "The demand for water and sanitation provision had never been so high. The destruction of water supply schemes and the already limited capacity of existing systems meant the need for water was crucial from the start.

"In the early stages, few relief organizations focused on the availability of toilets so people were defecating in the open, thereby spreading disease. With no privacy, it was common to see women holding up sheets for each other, attempting to hide while going to the toilet.

"WaterAid has involved people living in the camps in the construction of emergency toilets in order to foster a sense of ownership and pride. This work has been replicated by other partners and agencies and, although around 30 deaths from diarrhea were reported in Sindh, there has been no major outbreak.

Hygiene education in flood-affected areas

Basria, 27, is a health worker responsible for 144 households in the rural farming village of Choki Drab, which was reduced to little more than bricks and mud following the floods. A flood victim herself camping in squalid conditions in the grounds of her destroyed home, she has continued working for the sake of her community and her family, as the only wage earner.

She said: "In the early days of the floods, almost everyone in Choki Drab was suffering from fever, scabies, diarrhea, eye infections and malaria because of the contaminated water. It was so polluted it was even green in color. It smelled terrible and there were dead animals everywhere.

"Organizations such as WaterAid helped educate people about the importance of clean water, encouraging people to either boil it or use tablets and told them they must wash their hands, especially before eating.

"Basically, clean water equals good health. The water is cleaner now and people have gone back to using the water supply from their own hand pumps."

Sidra, 28, was one of the few people in the village whose home was left standing. Despite it being damaged by the floods and having no water supply, she has welcomed a large number of displaced relatives into her home and has also hosted WaterAid hygiene talks.

She says: "The hygiene class was really beneficial for all of us, especially the lessons on menstrual hygiene. They gave us napkins and taught us to use a new one for each cycle and then to burn them. Before, we were using pieces of old cut clothes, which we would wash and use until they were too dirty to be of use anymore.

"There is a certain distance between us women due to shyness and we only ever used to talk about things like menstruation if someone had a serious problem. We were happy the lady from WaterAid came and spoke openly about these things."

For the millions of people affected by the floods in Pakistan, six months on there is still a long way to go before life can return to normal.

WaterAid will continue to work in some of the worst flood-affected areas of Pakistan and work with other national and international agencies to provide technical expertise and advice on water, sanitation and hygiene issues.