Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association relief news update from Pakistan.
Excessive monsoon rains caused the Indus River to overflow from the north to the south of Pakistan, claiming at least 1,600 lives along the way and destroying 1.2 million homes. As native and international aid workers have been mobilizing to respond, recent new waves of flooding have overwhelmed efforts, with hundreds of
thousands more people displaced in different locales. The continued devastation over the past month has left 8 million people nationwide still in need of emergency aid.

Shamim Bibi – Survivor (M): We walked and swam through the flood waters with little children who didn't realize what was happening. Here in the camp, things are difficult. Our children are unwell. They used to go to school, and they are not happy here. We are all very worried. Our men who used to work in the fields are also very worried.

VOICE: With already limited clean water supplies further contaminated by broken sewer lines, cases of diarrhea have begun to emerge, with conditions worsened by the fact that hundreds of health facilities have been damaged. Over 3.5 million children are at urgent risk of contracting waterborne disease and 72,000 are at high risk of losing their lives.

Khalid Mashovi – KTN National TV news journalist, Pakistan (M): People are disturbed by many diseases, and many problems. There is no light, there is no water, there are no good situations for the residents.

VOICE: With deep concern, Supreme Master Ching Hai had donated a total of US$115,000 in urgent assistance for the Pakistani flood victims while asking our Association members with medical training to go and help, and for tents to be provided to shelter the weak and vulnerable.

With additional contributions from our worldwide Association members, the combined US$140,000 in aid could obtain approximately US$2.5 million in materials in the United States, based on Pakistan’s cost of living.
Covering their own travel and related expenses, our Association’s relief teams from Formosa (Taiwan) and Indonesia have been bringing food and other supplies.

In the stricken south, hundreds of affected residents have been receiving medical care from our Association’s relief team, who wrote the following report per Supreme Master Ching Hai’s request for updates.August 2010

Khalid Mashovi – KTN National TV news journalist, Pakistan (M): Knowing about your camp, we see your doctor's cooperation with the people. They and their team are doing very good work. We are thankful to Supreme Master Ching Hai.

VOICE: Our gratefulness goes to Supreme Master Ching Hai for allowing us to bring these details to our viewers, as well as our Association’s Foreign Group for sharing this report.

With appreciation to the Pakistani government, media, and rescuers for their efforts and support of international teams, we also join in thanking Supreme Master Ching Hai for her loving care extended to the Pakistani people and for the caring efforts of our Association's relief teams.

Our prayers for the renewed stability of the afflicted and that such disasters will cease through our improved treatment of living beings and the environment.