Pakistan situation is urgent

Dear sir - The people of Pakistan are facing a public health catastrophe after the worst floods in living memory. An area bigger than the size of Ireland has been left underwater with 14.5 million people, including seven million children, affected - more than the combined total of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, 2005 Kashmir earthquake and 2010 Haiti earthquake. The homes and livelihoods of some of the world's poorest people have been washed away and now deadly waterborne diseases, such as cholera, threaten to compound the suffering. No wonder then that United Nations secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, after flying in to visit ravaged areas recently, said: "I will never forget the destruction and suffering I have witnessed today. In the past I have witnessed many natural disasters around the world, but nothing like this. I'm here to send a message to the world: these unprecedented floods require an unprecedented response. The world must stand with the people of Pakistan." Aid is getting through but there is still a massive amount of work to be done and the logistical challenges are huge because of the continuing rains. Oxfam is planning to reach more than 900,000 people with clean water, sanitation kits and hygiene supplies and other essential aid. The public in County Meath have already made a fantastic contribution. Our thanks go to everyone who has already made a donation. But there needs to be a bigger and better response to this crisis. Donor funding is, unfortunately, low compared with other recent natural disasters. The European Commission, for example, has only pledged €10 million ($12.8m), which is completely insufficient, given the scale of the disaster. The United Nations has estimated that a total of $460m is needed. Why has this happened? It is possible that the relatively low number of deaths so far has made people feel that the disaster is not urgent. But Oxfam and its partners cannot impress on people enough the scale of the devastation and the dangers of many more deaths if vital aid is not provided now. The situation will only improve when the world wakes up to the scale of the disaster. To make a donation to Oxfam Ireland's Pakistan appeal telephone 1850 30 40 55, visit www.oxfamireland.org or donate at any of Oxfam Ireland's 49 shops throughout Ireland. Yours, Jim Clarken, Chief Executive, Oxfam Ireland.