Natural disasters are unfortunately relatively common, with different occasions of flooding affecting the country 14 times in the past 30 years. This means that over the past 30 years, there has been an unprecedented amount of displacement, suffering, rebuilding and orphans.
In this article, we at the Zohra Foundation, will answer the question ‘How much aid has Pakistan received?’
Ranking 48th on the world GDP table as of 2022, Pakistan is also in the midst of recovering from the horrific two months of flooding that occurred in 2022, affecting the population deeply with millions being displaced and at least $30 billion needed for losses and rebuilding.
A 2021 report by Unicef concluded over 4 million orphaned children in Pakistan. As a result of displacement, economic and political troubles and natural disasters.
As a charity that operates with our Islamic faith in mind, we always remind ourselves and our donators that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
“Give sadaqah without delay for it stands in the way of calamity” (Tirmidhi)
So how much aid had Pakistan received?
As of October 2022, The UN had more than doubled its relief aid to Pakistan from $160 million to $816 million.
The United Kingdom has also given an additional £10 million in humanitarian aid.
The extra support will be spent on urgent life-saving needs such as providing shelter, water and sanitation to prevent waterborne diseases.
It will focus on supporting people who are still displaced and those that are returning to their land, by helping re-establish communal water supplies.
UK Minister of State for South Asia, FCDO, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon said:
“The UK continues to help the people of Pakistan recover from the recent devastating floods. Our support will help to tackle the spread of waterborne diseases and to improve access to clean water, sanitation, medical care and shelter across the country.”
“We are working night and day with Pakistan and our international partners to ensure that UK aid reaches the hardest hit areas.”
“As well as helping with urgent life-saving needs, the UK is supporting Pakistan’s economic recovery and resilience against future climate disasters.”
“The UK’s new Developing Countries Trading Scheme will help grow trade by giving duty-free access to 94% of goods exported from Pakistan to the UK.”
In addition to the UK’s £26.5 million donation in humanitarian funding, a UK Royal Air Force flight recently delivered 8 boats and 10 portable generators for use in flood relief operations.
Now that we have an understanding of some of the international aid Pakistan is recieving, here is how you can help.
Charitable aid from the Zohra Foundation
Medical Aid
Zohra Foundation runs free medical camps in villages across Pakistan. Outreach teams, who are made up of volunteer nurses and doctors, offer free health screenings, free medication and free follow-up visits to help detect and manage common diseases that affect the elderly.
For many of our patients, these free medical camps are their only access to any medical care. It is the only time they will be able to get the treatment, support and medication they need to live a life of dignity and happiness.
Your Sadaqah and Zakat will mean that we are able to:
- Provide free medical treatment and procedures to the elderly
- Run centres in rural communities across Pakistan
- Offer free health screenings and follow-up home visits to patients
- Support the families of patients with ongoing counselling and medical advice
Eye Camps
Age-related cataracts are the most common cause of blindness in Pakistan. This treatable and preventable condition is most common among the elderly living in poverty.
These vulnerable, elderly men and women barely have enough food and shelter to survive. Then they face the prospect of losing their eyesight. Any hope for the future, dignity and independence is lost.
But the good news is that most eyesight problems can be prevented or treated with relatively little expense.
Our free eye camps across Pakistan carry out routine eye exams to treat existing conditions, ease physical discomfort and prevent further damage. We also offer free eye surgery, and free glasses to correct near and far-sighted impairment.
Zohra Foundation not only wants to treat those suffering from eyesight problems but also raise awareness of the issues and medical support available in the wider community. It is only then that sufferers will be able to get treatment earlier and no longer suffer the unnecessary trauma and anguish of losing their eyesight.
Dementia Care
Dementia is a life-changing condition which affects not only patients but their families and the wider community. In Pakistan, only 10% of sufferers will receive any kind of treatment.
Our specialised dementia care team in Pakistan travel across the country to provide free psychological and medical support to patients.
Dedicated nurses and doctors mean that thousands of elderly people and their families are able to cope with dementia. We help individuals maintain their physical and cognitive well-being, and we educate caregivers about the progressive nature of the disease and consider how it can be managed at home.
Without our dedicated nurses and doctors, thousands of elderly people in the country would be left neglected, isolated and struggling with this terrible condition.
Zohra Foundation has been running specialised dementia treatment centres in Pakistan for the last 5 years. Across the world and in Pakistan Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia (often after a stroke) are the most common types.
However, there are also many other reversible conditions that cause the same symptoms, such as thyroid problems and vitamin deficiencies.
Once our team has established the type of dementia, we are then able to provide the most suitable medical and emotional support to patients and their families.
Shelter
Over 2 million elderly people in Pakistan do not have the medicine, food and shelter that they need to survive. Many of them live in impoverished conditions with no running water, access to food and no source of heating in the cold winter months.
These poor living conditions lead to malnutrition and a wide range of health conditions, including respiratory infections, chronic conditions and mental health issues.
Zohra Foundation has been providing shelter, medical support and food packages to the elderly in Pakistan for over 5 years.
Just £25 a month can give one elderly person in poverty the food, medicine and shelter they need to survive.
By supporting us with your Zakat and Sadaqah you will be saving the life of someone in need and fulfilling your Islamic duty to care for your elders.
Adopt a Grandparent
Our Adopt A Grandparent scheme has been empowering the poor and elderly in Pakistan for over 5 years. Increasingly in Pakistan elderly men and women are suffering from depression, financial exploitation, and deprivation which is leading to increasing suicide rates among the elderly in the region.
For just £25 a month you can provide free medical treatment, food and shelter to the elderly and support to their caregivers. Give this vulnerable, forgotten community an opportunity to live their final days with the respect, dignity and honour that they deserve.
Orphan Care
The suffering of children is one of the most difficult things to witness. Especially vulnerable to the effects of poverty and conflict, children are the hardest hit when faced with challenges that even adults would find difficult to cope with.
We provide orphan care for extremely poor children and particularly orphans. Our aim is to provide care and financial assistance to as many of these children as we can.
For just £25 a month you can provide free medical treatment, food and shelter to an orphan child and support to their caregivers. Give these vulnerable children an opportunity to have a better life with the dignity which they deserve.
Aid Pakistan today
The Zohra Foundation is a UK-registered charity that aims to improve the lives of millions of orphans, widows and the elderly throughout Pakistan and respond to emergencies in other parts of the world.
Through our Adopt a Grandparent scheme, Orphan Sponsorship scheme, medical camps, social support and food aid, and other previously mentioned schemes, with your help we can focus on ensuring that the poor and vulnerable population get the vital services they need to survive.
In the last five years, we have built long-term partnerships with networks of paid specialists, volunteer doctors, nurses and healthcare professionals. These relationships mean that we understand and meet the needs of the local population to deliver emergency relief across Pakistan.
By supporting the Zohra Foundation with your Zakat and Sadaqah, you can restore hope to the orphans and elderly in Pakistan.
You will give the elderly the final days they deserve; one with respect and dignity and the orphans, a better start to life.
In this article, we hope to have answered the question ‘How much aid has Pakistan recieved?’ As well as offer insight into the obligations Islam presents to us in regard to charitable causes.
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