Over the last several years, Pakistan has experienced an increase in the frequency and severity effects of El Niño and a decrease in rainfall during the monsoon season.
Relief efforts in Pakistan
CARE began working in Pakistan in 2005 following a 25-year absence. We work in some of the country’s most remote and logistically challenging areas to address the underlying causes of poverty. We work to overcome discrimination against girls and women in healthcare and education. We lobby for policy change around reproductive health and work to remove barriers to education and employment. We help communities access water and sanitation and improve their livelihood options. We also help communities prepare for disasters and provide emergency relief when it is needed.
Over the last several years, Pakistan has experienced an increase in the frequency and severity of El Niño and a decrease in rainfall during the monsoon season. This has resulted in acute shortages of water, food, and fodder. CARE and its partners have worked in the areas of health for at-risk populations, sanitation, hygiene, and clean water to mitigate this crisis.
2022 Floods
In 2022, the Government of Pakistan declared a National Emergency in response to the crisis, which affected more than 33 million people.
With more than a third of the country under water, CARE and our partners began distributing much-needed relief items, including tents, shelter and sanitation equipment, as well as everyday essentials like menstrual hygiene items.
The floods came after Pakistan already had faced a decade of floods, cyclones, earthquakes and displacement. Largely dependent on small-scale agriculture, Pakistan is especially vulnerable to extreme weather brought about by climate change.
Almost half of the population lives below the poverty line, and the country ranks among the lowest globally in terms of fair distribution of resources and opportunities between men and women.
CARE works in some of the most remote and logistically challenging areas of Pakistan to help address the underlying causes of poverty, supporting women by working with local partners to provide better access to health services and increase the understanding of reproductive, maternal and child health.
Please give now to CARE Australia’s Global Emergency Fund so that we can provide lifesaving support to families when emergencies like this strike.
2010 and 2012 Floods
In 2010, Pakistan experienced the worst floods in living memory. Around 20 million people were affected – more than the 2004 tsunami, the 2005 Kashmir earthquake and the Haiti earthquake combined. In 2011, more flooding affected 9 million people.
Then in 2012, monsoon rains in southern Pakistan devastated local communities, destroying homes and crops and affecting five million people. Within days, the crisis saw more than 297,000 families in need of emergency shelter.
In response to these disasters, CARE and our partners delivered emergency food, clean water, shelter, medical services, mosquito nets, blankets, and financial support. We provided free medical assistance and skills training to vulnerable communities, especially mothers and children. In the years that followed, we have continued to help communities recover and rebuild.
Please give now to CARE Australia’s Global Emergency Fund so that we can provide lifesaving support to families when emergencies like this strike.
Donate now
Support our ongoing work to create a more equal world.
Your donation can help end extreme poverty and give people the means to build a better future for themselves in countries like Pakistan.
For those living in extreme poverty, your support brings education and training, healthcare and clean water, nutritious food, and new ways to earn an income. And in times of crisis, you help us deliver emergency relief. Please donate today.
Photos: © Maryam Imtiaz/CARE, © Zeeshan Azam/CARE and © Bill Kotsatos/CARE.
