World's Largest Crisis Continues for Millions of Pakistani Flood Victims

News provided by

Helping Hand for Relief and Development

Oct 05, 2010, 04:14 ET

DETROIT, Oct. 5 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Water is now receding in parts of the flood-affected Pakistan, and only now is the true devastation of the world's worst disaster becoming apparent. Not only have homes been damaged but, in many cases, all the belongings have been wiped away by the floods.

Former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said today while appealing for aid to Pakistan: "The Pakistan floods are the world's biggest emergency - 60,000 sq miles under water, 20 million people displaced, 14 million in need of emergency health care, six million short of food, two-and-a-half million homeless."

Helping Hand for Relief and Development (HHRD), a non-profit 501 (c) (3) tax exempt organization and a certified NGO with the esteemed "Pakistan Center for Philanthropy", has been providing relief services since the inception of these floods in late July 2010. HHRD has credible background of humanitarian assistance work during the 2004-2005 South East Asian Tsunami & Pakistan Earthquake and 2010 Haiti Earthquake. Unfortunately during these great 2010 floods in Pakistan, HHRD's Rehab Centers and Orphan Programs have been severely affected.

HHRD has been sending continuous in-kind donation containers every week to Pakistan from various U.S. cities, to help with medical equipments, food, blankets, personal hygiene things, shoes, and basic necessities. To date, $4.5 million worth of items have been sent for the flood victims, including medical equipment worth $900,000. $1 million worth of goods have been distributed among the flood victims already.

HHRD has distributed 2.4 million meals in the most affected flood areas to date.

Initially, HHRD ran 13 medical camps across Pakistan. Volunteer doctors, paramedics, mobile bus clinic, and ambulances would set up clinic every morning and close at sunset; a few were running 24 hours a day.

On October 4th, 2010, the United Nations has reported suspected 250,00 cases of malaria (which is expected to increase to about 2-million), 881,000 cases of diarrhea, 840,000 cases of skin diseases and almost 1 million cases of respiratory disorders."

Keeping this in perspective, with the slowly receding water, HHRD has now established 8 field hospitals under large tents. They will be turned into permanent fixtures in the heavily flood-affected areas as the need persists; with a special focus on women and children.

You can visit HHRD's dedicated website for Pakistan flood relief; www.reliefforpakistan.org for latest updates. Tax ID# 31-1628040.

To donate please visit www.hhrd.org or call 1-888-808-4357 (HELP).

SOURCE Helping Hand for Relief and Development