Flood ravaged Pakistan to receive aid from Church through Islamic Relief

Breadth of destruction has been staggering

4 Sept 2010, 12:00 a.m. MDT

Pakistani flood survivors migrate to safer areas after new levees hastily built from clay and stone held back flood waters. The Church is purchasing relief supplies locally, and sending large shipments by ship through Islamic Relief USA. Associated Press

Jason writes for the Deseret News’ Politics and the West team covering education, the military and faith-based sports stories.

Monsoon rains over the past month have caused catastrophic flooding in Pakistan, claiming the lives of more than 1,600 people and leaving more than 8 million people homeless.

Displaced villagers await relief following serious flooding. | Associated Press

The Church and its partners have stepped forward to help. Under the direction of the Presiding Bishopric, the Church is providing relief aid to assist the millions in need. On Aug. 25, the Church announced it was distributing supplies purchased in Pakistan with the cooperation of the humanitarian relief agencies International Relief and Development, International Medical Corps and Saba Aslam Welfare and Trust.

The Church has also collected 10 tractor-trailer loads of emergency provisions that will be shipped via sea to Pakistan with the assistance of an established partner, Islamic Relief USA.

Relief supplies sponsored by the Church are prepared and distributed to flood victims in Pakistan. | Courtesy of Saba Aslam Welfare and Trust

The partnership between the Church and Islamic Relief USA has made it possible for the Church to distribute much-needed supplies to difficult areas. | Courtesy of Saba Aslam Welfare and Trust

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Pakistan," said Bishop H. David Burton, presiding bishop of the Church. "The generous donations of Church members and others is allowing the Church to provide aid that will relieve the suffering of many people."

The Church's emergency response director, Lynn Samsel, said the recent shipment includes blankets, emergency aid supplies, powdered milk, school kits and Atmit, a life-sustaining foodstuff developed by the Church. Islamic Relief USA is providing the shipping costs and will direct the distribution in Pakistan — a Muslim nation where it has established an ongoing humanitarian presence.

Brother Samsel said the overseas shipment will likely not be the final wave of Church-sponsored help in Pakistan. "It's anticipated that we will, in fact, do more."

International observers have been staggered by the breadth of the destruction in Pakistan. More than a third of the heavily-populated nation has been impacted by the flood waters, directly affecting some 17 million people. More than 1.2 million homes have been destroyed.

In a recent statement, the Church said it provides relief and development projects for humanitarian purposes in countries all across the globe. Such projects operate without regard to the nationality or religion of the recipients. Donations, primarily from Church members but also from others around the world, are used to make relief projects possible. One hundred percent of the donations given to the Church's humanitarian services are used for relief efforts. The Church absorbs its own overhead costs.

How You Can Help

Members can help the suffering of flood victims in Pakistan and in other troubled regions of the world "by contributing to the humanitarian fund and praying for the people."