Urgent Request for prayer and assistance

The following report was received from a dear friend in Pakistan. If you are led to help, let me know. We are in the process of raisng funds for the victims.
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URGENT REQUEST FOR FLOOD RELIEF VICTIMS

Warmest greetings from Pakistan in the most precious and wonderful name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

In the recent torrential rains which have resulted in a truly alarming situation. As the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) known as (N.W.F.P), was already reeling from the increasing terrorism and now in particular has been hit hard by the recent monsoon rains.The heavy down pour which continued for 36 hours with over 230 millimeter of rain descending on many parts has affected tens of thousands and according to the information minister of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at least 408 people have been reported died in this province alone.

The devastation in the flood affected areas has been so acute with villages surrounded by churning waters. The homes and crops are total washed away. Damage to road links means it has been impossible to move in much needed aid. Further heavy rain is expected before this monsoon season blows itself out. According the reports this has been the heaviest spell of rain in 50 years in the province; flooding of the kind seen now has not been experienced since 1929 – beyond the living memory of most of KP residence and parts of the north of Punjab Province.

In such conditions there is apparently enormous hopelessness. People have lost their livestock and with no means of livelihood. There has been rain havoc too in these areas though its scale is still far from clear. The floods have even disrupted the process once again and affected those who had been attempting to resume their farming and business activities.

These people will need financial assistance to ensure that they can gradually continue their work. Those who have lost houses lack the capacity to rebuild them. They need assistance to overcome the latest disaster. There is a possibility that a worst may lie ahead. As all rivers of the country are reportedly flowing at high level and there is a danger of the bursting of the river banks.

We are receiving number of request through local Pastors and local contacts for help from the flood affected areas. We do not select people or areas, but people ask for help and we request our brothers and sisters in Christ for financial assistance so that we could reach them at the time of distress and destruction.

Our local contact from Peshawar told that number of villages surrounding to Mardan, Nowshera, Swat, Upper and Lower Dir, Shangla, Kohat and Charsaadda are worst affected areas where thousands of people are marooned. The villagers needed urgent evacuation and food and water supplies. As per information thousands of people including women and children are taking shelter on rooftops in Nowshera and suburbs of Peshwar . The United Nation has estimated that some 1 million people were affected from these recent floods. The report also said that the province has faced the worst natural calamity of its history and added that the situation would turn into a humanitarian disaster if the International Community did not extended immediate help.

The flood warning center in Peshawar said that the water level in all rivers, including river Swat and Kabul are receding and the situation may improve but it all depend on the monsoon rains. They also warned that the local dams are under severe strain and the moving flood water is fuelling up and the ongoing rains will still affect communities of North and South of Punjab, Pakistan controlled Kashmir and Sindh. According to the Red Cross Federation they are also concerned that it threatened new villages in the region.

As per information received through our local contact more than 800 people have died in the floods and many are missing according to the official report. Presently there is an urgent need of food, water, cloths, shelter etc, for the affected people of the flood affected areas.

We therefore request for financial assistance in our relief efforts so that we can reach those people who have been affected by recent floods and those who have been neglected or cannot be reached especially our Christian brothers and sisters in Christ, who are mostly deprived of many things. Your kind and generous support towards this cause will be highly appreciated. We also request you to pray for the families who have lost their loved ones during these floods. Pray for the families who are homeless and shelter-less that God may provide us the ability in giving them food to eat, cloths to wear and roof for shelter as the scripture said.

With kind regards and best wishes

Yours truly in Christ,

Rt. Rev Younis M. Haroon