Salvation Army officers look round some houses destroyed by the floods
THE Salvation Army in Pakistan is continuing to prepare a full response to the floods that brought devastation to the country. Captain Washington Daniel, The Salvation Army's District Officer for Islamabad, went to Peshawar to assess the situation and help decide how The Salvation Army can best help.
He reports:
- We arrived in Peshawar very tired after a hard day.
The situation is hopeless and people are facing major difficulties. Most houses are damaged badly or have fallen down completely due to the flood water. River water came into many houses, rising to above six feet in some places. People are looking for shelter, going to relatives' houses or to churches.
People are feeling hopeless. The Government and other non-government agencies (NGOs) have not properly visited them, helped them or prayed with them. They said that people from The Salvation Army are the first to visit and pray with them.
In some areas there is still standing water and people are afraid to go back to see their homes. Their houses and what they owned is mixed with mud. The buildings and houses are cracked and not suitable for living in.
The smell of the water in some places is too bad to stand near. Human bodies and animals around the fields are still stuck in the mud.
We asked the people what assistance they need immediately, but it will be very hard to fulfil all their demands.
The first batch of relief aid to go up to the affected areas – essential goods bought with the initial funding – is being put together and will be sent as soon as it is ready to go.
