The Pakistan Floods Appeal has now raised £29 million, but more is needed to provide both short-term aid and long-term solutions.
The country's farmers are among the worst affected, with over 200,000 livestock dead or missing and great swathes of once fertile farmland under water. Pakistan's farmers are among the country's poor and many stayed behind in their homes as the flood water rose to check on animals and protect their livelihoods from bandits.
The livestock which is left behind is now in danger of starvation as forage is low. Produce which was ready for markets in the Middle East has rotted in the field as transport links are virtually non-existent.
Once a lifeline for farmers, the Indus River has destroyed rice, wheat and sugar cane crops and drowned cattle.
The United Nations warns that unless farmers in hard-hit Punjab and Sindh provinces manage to plant their winter crop of wheat in mid-September as normal, there might be food shortages in the region and the nation as a whole.
A page on the FAO's website says there is an urgent need for animal feed to prevent further economic destruction. "You can put chickens, goats and sheep in the boat and take them with you but you can't take a buffalo or a cow," said Simon Mack, Chief, FAO Livestock Production Systems Branch. "In almost every picture you see of flood victims being rescued, someone is clutching a goat or a chicken."
“Livestock in this country are the poor people’s mobile ATM,” said David Doolan, who is in charge of FAO programmes in Pakistan. “In good times people build up their herds and in bad times they sell livestock to generate cash. Every animal we save is a productive asset that poor families can use to rebuild their lives when the floods finally pass.”
The Disasters and Emergency Committee (DEC) said on 23 August that for the first time in its 45 year history it had seen donations rise rather than fall during the second week of an appeal.
The unprecedented pattern of giving to the Pakistan Floods Appeal, long after the appeal broadcasts on 5 August, was a reflection of growing public awareness of the full scale of the tragedy, the DEC said.
The continuing high level of donations is critically important as 20 million people in Pakistan are now affected and there is a serious threat to survivors from water-borne diseases.
DEC Chief Executive Brendan Gormley said: “The full impact of the disaster will only be revealed when flood waters finally recede and the extent of the devastation is uncovered."
How you can donate
To make a donation to the DEC Pakistan Floods Appeal call the 24 hour hotline on 0370 60 60 900, visit http://www.dec.org.uk (or click the banner on this page), donate over the counter at any post office or high street bank, or send a cheque. You can also donate £5 by texting the word GIVE to 70707 – a standard network rate charge will apply.
Anyone wanting to stay up to date with developments in Pakistan, the emergency response and the fundraising efforts can follow the DEC on twitter at or become a fan of ‘Disasters-Emergency-Committee-DEC’ on Facebook.
To make a postal donation make cheques payable to ‘DEC Pakistan Floods Appeal’ and mail to PO Box 999, London, EC3A 3AA.
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