Save the Children launches appeal for South Asia floods

Save the Children New Zealand is launching an urgent appeal for children in South Asia who are currently affected by floods. At least 10 million children across Bangladesh, India and Pakistan are at risk. Homes have been swept away, water supplies have been contaminated and whole communities are exposed to the dangers of water-borne diseases.

Across the region more than 23 million people are currently affected – an estimated 6.9 million in Bangladesh, 13.7 million in India and 2.5 million in Pakistan.

Save the Children and its local partners are already on the ground in all three countries helping children and their families whose lives have been turned upside down by the flooding. We are appealing for donations in order to rapidly scale up our emergency response.

In Bangladesh we have already rescued 5,000 families who had been cut off by the floods and taken them to dry land. We are now scaling up our response to set up safe places for the displaced children to protect them from the dangers of the flood waters.

In India we are reaching around 3,000 families in West Bengal and Orissa and providing temporary shelter, clean water, health facilities, clothes, and school supplies for children.

This flooding follows closely on the heels of early July’s widespread flooding in Pakistan. We will be providing 12,000 families with food, shelter, kitchen equipment and soap, helping to rebuild schools and provide items like paper, slates, chalk, and toys.

Gareth Owen, Save the Children UK Director of Emergencies said: "Children whose lives have been turned upside down by flooding in Bangladesh, India and Pakistan urgently need help. We are on the ground now but we need more money to respond to this emergency. Millions of children have been forced from their homes and the lack of shelter, food and clean water combined with exposure to the hot and humid weather puts children in real danger."

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Donate online
Call Save the Children Emergency Appeal Lines:

0800 167 168 to make a donation of your choice; or

0900 67 168 to make an automatic $25 donation

Donate at your local Save the Children shop

WHAT YOUR MONEY CAN BUY

$25 buys a tarpaulin to provide vital temporary shelter for a family
$220 could help to set up a health camp, with a doctor providing basic healthcare and medicines, in a flood affected village

ENDS