Introduction to Pakistan
Pakistan is a country located in South Asia with a population of 220 million, making it the world’s fifth most populous country. It boasts the world’s second largest Muslim population, oldest and largest civilizations, the youngest Nobel Laureate, famous mountain ranges, largest ambulance service, and more.
One in three people live in poverty and the country hosts 1.7 million refugees. Pakistan continues to suffer from decades of internal political disputes, terrorism, and an increase in natural disasters.
In recent years, Pakistan has been impacted by numerous earthquakes, droughts and floods, leaving more than 1.2 million people in need of healthcare services, 1.1 million in need of WASH assistance, and 1.2 million in need of shelter.
Recent monsoon rains damaged food crops, leaving uncultivable land that affects farmers planting for the following season. The loss of agricultural profits greatly affects women as they are the main pickers of crops damaged by the rain. Reconstruction costs, as a result of recurring natural disasters, are placing an increasing burden on Pakistan’s already fragile economy.
Why do the people of Pakistan need your support?
For people across Pakistan, life is incredibly challenging:
- Over 2 million people in Pakistan live below the national poverty line (World Bank, 2020)
- There are 829,000 newly displaced Pakistanis as a result of natural disasters (iDMC, 2020)
- 21.7 million people do not have access to clean water while 69 million people do not have a decent toilet (Water Aid)
- There are more than 4.6 million orphan children in Pakistan and the majority of this population is below the age of 17 (UNICEF)
Islamic Relief in Pakistan
Islamic Relief started its work in Pakistan in 1992 with child welfare and protection programs. Ever since, we have established a main office in Islamabad and operate in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Sindh, Azad Jammu, Kashmir, and Balochistan to provide emergency relief and sustainable development support.
As a result of our decades of work in improving the lives of vulnerable people in Pakistan, the government of Pakistan awarded Islamic Relief with a humanitarian award.
Our current work in Pakistan addresses natural disasters, climate change, food insecurity, poor socioeconomic development, child safeguarding, women empowerment and the lack of safe water and hygiene practices.
The Earthquake Recovery in Balochistan project is constructing earthquake-resistant homes and village centers, distributing shelter kits and cash programming, rehabilitating water, sanitation and hygiene facilities, and increasing drought resilience through water use efficiency and sustainable access to food security.
In Kashmir, our climate resilience project is protecting biodiversity by promoting indigenous disaster risk reduction practices, planting 67,000 wild trees, establishing 10 fruit orchards, and constructing 6 dams. Through water and livelihood initiatives, we are implementing nurseries, orchards, and poultry farming to ensure women's participation in income generation. As well as install water purification solutions to minimize risky water collection amongst women and girls, and to facilitate their safe hygiene practices.
Your donations in action
Kira Imran is a 45 year old mother of 4 kids whose family’s ability to make an income has been impacted drastically by the Covid-19 pandemic. Recognizing her family’s dire situation and inability to meet basic needs, our team on the ground enrolled Kira into one of our women empowerment projects.
She now receives tailoring training from Islamic Relief’s funded skill centre, which empowers widows and women in need. With this skill training, Kira provides tailoring services to her community and generates some income. Her daughter, Asma, also receives support through our Orphan Sponsorship Program.
During the month of Ramadan, Islamic Relief distributed food packages to Kira’s family alongside the additional support we provide through the women empowerment and orphan sponsorship projects. Food packages reduce vulnerable communities' stress for food and expenses, while providing support in a dignified manner.
Kira shared,
“I am extremely grateful to Islamic Relief for the support that they have provided us. I hope that this will not be the last time they help out people in need, and that they will continue to do good work in the future.”
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