Save the Children is the world’s independent children’s charity. We’re demanding justice for the world’s poorest and most vulnerable children and delivering immediate and lasting improvement to their lives – providing life-saving healthcare, food, education and protection. We’re fighting to change children’s lives.
Save the Children exists to do just that – save children.
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The devastating floods in Pakistan have affected more than 14 million people. The United Nations has called this the worst humanitarian crisis in recent history. The floods have destroyed roads and bridges, and washed away thousands of homes, schools and villages. The deluge has caused extensive damage to crops in a country where agriculture is an economic linchpin. There are fears of major outbreaks of disease, including cholera and diarrhoea, as people have no access to clean water, food or shelter. When the floods started on Wednesday 28 July, many people lost their lives, and most of those who managed to survive lost their homes.
Photocredit: Save the Children Sajjad, 14 years old, (not his real name) and his family, live in a suburb of Bahrain city called Jail. It was one of the worst affected areas, as entire streets and neighbourhoods were washed away within 24 hours. Sajjad's father is a schoolteacher and owns an apple farm near the river. The next morning, he was shocked to see his entire apple farm ruined by the floodwater. Save the Children's assessment teams quickly identified the families in most need so that they could receive tents with bamboo and a shelter kit to build temporary housing. As they had lost their home, Sajjad's family received help in the form of materials to build a temporary shelter. Sajjad says "It had been raining for two days when we were told that Jail was surrounded by water. Our neighbours were running uphill. We collected all our precious goods and moved into an uncle's house in a safer area of Bahrain. Later that day, we found that our house had been destroyed by the flooded river." Sajjad and his uncle travelled for five hours to reach SCF's distribution centre in Fatehpur. They were among the first in line to receive a tent, bamboo, buckets, water containers and other items. His family was eagerly awaiting his return, knowing that they could then move into their own space and begin the slow process of rebuilding their lives. "I know these things will not replace my home, but at least it will be my family's first step towards a new home." [Interview conducted by Save the Children staff member during an assignment to Pakistan in August 2010.] |
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