Extreme weather events and other natural disasters in Pakistan, paired with the country’s geography and preparedness challenges, typically leave Pakistan’s people vulnerable to food, water, and housing shortages. Everyday supplies can be difficult to come by or delayed as inventories shrink and deliveries are disrupted or canceled due to damage these disasters, like earthquakes and floods, leave behind.
Living in the U.S. and watching from afar as your loved ones go through these events can be stressful and leave you feeling helpless. But there are some steps you can take, both to help your family prepare for emergencies and to help your family and fellow Pakistanis recover when disaster hits.
Helping Family in Pakistan Prepare for Disasters
When living in an area where natural disasters occur, prepared families can save time and make smart decisions in the moments after disasters strike. If warnings of potential storms or disasters are given, it’s smart to pack bags for each family member with:
- Clothing for at least a few days
- Necessary medications
- Personal hygiene supplies
- Eyeglasses
- Cellphones and chargers
- Important documents (IDs, passports, etc.)
Keep rupees on hand in case power outages prevent credit and debit cards from being accepted in stores and restaurants.
In addition, supplies to have at the home in case power is lost for an extended period include:
- Bottled water—check news updates to ensure that the brand is safe to drink
- Energy bars and other non-perishable foods
- Matches and candles
- Flashlights and batteries
- Basic tools like pliers, hammer, wrench, Swiss army knife
- Bleach to use as a disinfectant
For young children, UNICEF’s website has six stories and Urdu, Pashto, and Sindhi videos to help them understand what to expect and how to prepare for disasters. Read or watch them here with the children in your family, answering any questions so they feel prepared.
Supporting Family and Pakistan Communities Hit Hard by Disaster
Usually the best way to support families and communities after disasters hit is to send money to family members directly or donate through a trusted organization to help affected communities in Pakistan.
Send Money to Pakistan to Help Family and Friends
These days there are many ways to send money directly to relatives or friends in Pakistan, so they can buy food, clothing, or supplies they need now or later. If you’re helping in the aftermath of a natural disaster, you want to make sure your funds arrive fast. Using Western Union is a reliable and easy way to send money home to Pakistan. You can send money to friends and relatives using your credit or debit card, directly through your bank account, or through Apple Pay®. They can receive the money in their bank account or pick up cash at one of our 13,000 Western Union locations in Pakistan.
Support Relief Efforts in Pakistan
If you want to support Pakistan’s disaster relief efforts, you can usually choose from several local or global organizations that act quickly when emergencies strike. Here are three global ones to consider that helped with the 2022 flooding in Pakistan and are experienced in aiding people in countries all over the world. Be sure to always check out any groups you donate to, ensuring that they are legitimate, and support efforts you care about.
UNICEF
UNICEF’s website states that contributions to its Humanitarian Action for Children appeal help support the agency’s work for providing conflict and disaster-afflicted children with water, sanitation, food, education, health, and protection services. On the donation form, you can designate children in Pakistan as the recipient. Here’s an example of how they helped when monsoon rains caused massive flooding in August 2022.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)
This organization provides humanitarian efforts before, during and after disasters and health emergencies to meet needs and improve lives of vulnerable people. The website provides information on individual crises, responses, and how you can help.
Save the Children works to help children and their communities prevent, prepare for, and recover from disasters. Its website explains, “The organization helps communities become more resilient so that each time a crisis happens they are stronger, more likely to survive, and recover more quickly.”