Pakistan is engulfed by one of the most catastrophic climate crises the country has seen in recent years. Currently, one-third of Pakistan is underwater. Around 33 million people have been affected by the devastating floods. Thousands of lives have been lost. Families have lost their homes, personal belongings and are presently sleeping in the open sky. The hygiene of young women and girls is being compromised, with no proper place to bathe. According to estimates, there are 75,000 pregnant women in flood-affected areas while the rest of them would menstruate every month. Click here to know how you can help them.
The devastating scenes from flood-hit areas of Pakistan have not only rattled Pakistanis, but international celebrities all over the world are also urging people to donate and help Pakistan in this difficult time. NGOs and organizations have stepped up and are actively working towards raising flood relief funds, taking in donations in the form of clothes, medicines, pregnancy kits, sanitary pads, etc. While country-wide donations are taking place via these organizations, celebrities, brands, and platforms both local and international are doing their part on an individual level. Be it in the form of donating a percentage of their sales for flood relief or raising awareness through their platforms.
Here are some international celebrities and platforms raising awareness and funds for flood victims in Pakistan.
Bela Hadid
Supermodel Bela Hadid, who is known to never shy away from speaking her mind on things that matter, took to her Instagram stories to post devastating scenes from Pakistan’s flood-hit areas. Soon after, in an Instagram post, she urged people to help Pakistan’s children through UNICEF. “More than 1000 people — a third of them children — have died during severe flooding across Pakistan,” she lamented.
“$2.50 can provide micronutrient sachets for a pregnant mother and young child
$12 can provide a hygiene kits with soap, sanitizer, detergent, buckets, menstrual supplies, etc – enough for 3 months for a family.
$55 can provide a carton of 55 ready-to-use-therapeutic food sachets that can treat a child suffering from severe acute malnutrition for 6-8 weeks,” she added.
Apple
Yesterday, multinational tech giant Apple announced that it will donate to relief and assist the recovery efforts taking place in Pakistan. The announcement came from Apple CEO, Tim Cook, who offered his condolences to the families in Pakistan who have lost their loved ones in the current devastating humanitarian crisis.
He stated, “The floods in Pakistan and surrounding areas are devastating humanitarian disasters. Our thoughts are with those that have lost loved ones, the many displaced families, and all those affected. Apple will donate to relief and recovery efforts on the ground.”
Nobel prize laureate Malala Yousafzai expressed her gratitude to Tim Cook and Apple for their support. “Thank you, Tim and Apple for providing support to Pakistan in this very difficult time. ❤️”
Mohsin Hamid
The Writing Room along with the Indus Relief Fund, an initiative kickstarted by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Fatima Bhutto, and Menaal Munshey, has collaborated with renowned Pakistani-British novelist Mohsin Hamid of The Reluctant Fundamentalist to arrange a masterclass with the writer. All the funds raised for the masterclass will be donated to the Indus Relief Fund 2022 to facilitate flood relief and rehabilitation in Sindh.
Here’s how you can donate
“To register, all you need to do is
1. Make a donation (minimum $45 for people outside Pakistan and Rs. 3,500 for those in Pakistan, but please do give as much as you are able to) to @indusrelief2022 GoFundMe page (link in bio). People in Pakistan can donate to @legalaidsociety_pakistan or @edhi.foundation.
2. Email me the donation receipt at thewritingroomco@gmail.com.”
You can register for the masterclass no matter where you are in the world.
UK For UNHCR
UK for UNHCR, ‘the UN Refugee Agency’s national charity in the UK’ has kickstarted an appeal to increase funds to facilitate flood-impacted Pakistanis and Afghani refugees through UNCHR’s relief work in Pakistan.
So far, UNCHR has been actively providing emergency relief items such as tents, sanitary products, cooking stoves, plastic tarpaulins, sleeping mats, blankets, etc, in host communities as well as refugee villages. In addition to that, it has sent a total of 10,000 sandbags to residents to help protect their homes. (Relief Web)
Local Celebrity-Initiative Raising Funds
Mohsin Naveed Ranjha
Ace Pakistani designer, Mohsin Naveed Ranjha is donating proceeds from each sale of his latest ‘Zarlish by Mohsin Naveed Ranjha’ collection to Bibi Munazza Foundation, which is named after his mother.
He announced the news on his Instagram stories, reiterating the need to come forward during these trying times. He also informed his followers that the brand has successfully delivered the first batch of donations last month to the flood affectees of Lasbella, Balochistan. The brand will work towards flood relief efforts this year, he added.
Mehwish Hayat x Penny Appeal
In collaboration with Penny Appeal UK, Pakistani actress Mehwish has launched an ’emergency global appeal’ to help millions of flood-affected Pakistanis. Penny Appeal is on the ground providing food, drinking water, and aid in the 13 most impacted areas in Pakistan. In a video posted by Mehwish Hayat, the actress urges people to come forth and contribute to Penny Appeal’s fundraiser because “Now is the time to dig deep and give whatever we can – every little help will save lives.”
You can go to Penny Appeal’s Instagram page and click on the fundraiser to donate as little or as much as you can.
As citizens of this country, it is our utmost duty to come forward and actively participate in the relief activities under process. Do your research, find the organization you resonate with, and donate to it. Every little donation matters. Let’s act responsibly and do our part.
How You Can Help 0.5 Million Pregnant & Menstruating Women Impacted By Floods
Sources used in this article include Dawn Images & Relief Web
