Clean drinking water and food continue to be the priority in Pakistan’s flood-stricken North West, as ActionAid mobilises its disaster response.

Zia Naweb, an ActionAid partner working in Swat, says the situation remains precarious for tens of thousands of villagers in the Swat Valley disconnected from aid due to damaged roads and bridges.

“Distributing aid to victims in hilly areas will be a challenge due to wiped-out infrastructure. Helicopters are operating but are in short supply, and delivering supplies on foot will be problematic due to long distances between villages, danger of flash flooding and the amount of debris scattered everywhere."

“Villages have been completely destroyed - the extent of the disaster hit me after assessing twin villages Qandle and Jaro. You would never believe that these villages even existed, all that remains of them is sand and debris, and so much livestock has already disappeared,” He says.

What is ActionAid doing?

ActionAid is reaching thousands of those most in need, with:

• food packages
  
• fodder for livestock
• mattresses, mosquito nets and plastic sheets for those without shelter
• household  basics  like hygiene kits, tarpaulins and kitchen sets.

We are working closely with government authorities, military personnel and other humanitarian organisations to ensure that the aid arrives where the need is greatest.

What can people do to help?

• Donate online to ActionAid’s Pakistan emergency appeal
• Donate by phoning 01460 238 000
• Organise an event to raise funds for the appeal