2011 Rain Emergency

Situation of Rain / Flash flood and affected population in District Umerkot (09-09-2011)

Record torrential rains, earlier in Southern districts of Sindh and now in northern districts as well has wreaked havoc leaving more than 133 people including women and children dead and more than 400 people injured in the last 2-3 weeks, according to reports in media and consolidated figures reported by provincial authorities.

Situation in district Umerkot

The district Umerkot has received heavy rainfall in its history on 9^th & 10^th of August 2011 which affected hundreds of villages in taluka Kunri, Samaro and some villages in taluka Pithoro and Umerkot. But later the continuous torrential rains started in last week of August and still continued with a short break of a day or some hours in September made situation worst in the whole district especially in taluka Kunri and Samaro. In last 2-3 days more than 200 mm rains fallen which have washed away the remaining parts of district and even RCC buildings are pouring water from roofs and this recent round has created havoc in district Umerkot and thousands of families have been displaced from their houses, thousands of katacha houses damaged, animals died, crops standing over thousands of acres have been fully damaged causing loss of millions of rupees.

According to reports in media and initial assessment of district administration as well as Sami Foundation almost a dozen of people including women and children have been died in various incidents and number of people are injured. According to initial assessment some 1700 villages and more than 200,000 people are affected. More than 60,000 houses have been damaged and up till now more than 60% of primary schools (Boys & girls) in rural villages are inaccessible and inundated in water in all four talukas.

Hundreds of families have taken shelter in schools of taluka and district head quarter. (Data collected by Sami Foundation from camps visited shows that more than 10,000 people having large number of women and children have taken shelter in 141 government buildings as well as in tents & open spaces either declared or undeclared relief camps of district administration). Besides this, thousands of people are living under open sky in surrounding of Umerkot head quarter, sand dunes on Umerkot-Kunri-Nabisar Road as well as on road side to Chachro. Yet hundreds of people are on the way to Umerkot city as well as taking shelter at the houses of their relatives.

There is immediate need of the following support to bring people out of trauma

Provision of Tents for shelter
Provision of cooked food / Ration
Provision of safe drinking water
Hygiene kits
Medical Assistance especially for children and pregnant ladies
Anti-malarial spray / Tablets
Mosquito nets

Interventions by Sami Foundation

Sami Foundation immediately initiated its efforts with its limited resources and collected information of affected families and shared with district administration. Besides this, organization organized medical camps in Samaro, Kunri and Umerkot for people living in camps as well as on road side near their villages. Up till now more than 650 people have been treated and provided medicines in camps through mobile health unit of Sami Foundation comprised of Doctor, LHV and Technician. Besides this, organization have been distributed more than 2000 Aqua Tabs for purification of water to avoid water borne diseases among affected people and this support is continued till today.

Sami Foundation has already requested to its programme partners and donors for providing immediate relief assistance to the affected people in district Umerkot and also working in closed coordination with district administration. The organization also conducted meetings with Executive District Officer Health, EDO Education, EDO Revenue, Mukhtiarkars and other officials of district government and shared the initial assessment and situation analysis of the affected areas. The water and sanitation conditions are very worst.

Rain Emergency Relief goods & situation report by PDMA