International disaster relief charity ShelterBox is dispatching urgently needed aid to alleviate the growing humanitarian crisis in Pakistan where hundreds of thousands of people are fleeing the fighting between the army and militants in the north west of the country.
ShelterBox Response Team member Mark Pearson (UK) is in the country to coordinate the distribution of 250 ShelterBoxes, 224 relief tents, 250 heavy duty tents and 380 ‘family kits’ of essential equipment which have now arrived. A further 250 ShelterBoxes were being packed at the charity’s headquarters on May 26th and are due to arrive in Islamabad by the end of the month. The aid will help up to 9,500 people.
“The need for ShelterBox is massive. In total there are 1.88 million registered displaced people since the conflict began with little or no shelter available for them,” says Mark. “I went to one registration point and they received 1,200 people in one day and that was a quiet day. The situation is so bad. In government buildings close to the conflict area there are three families (90 people) living in each room. The conditions are horrendous.”
“The scale of the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Pakistan is unprecedented,” says ShelterBox Founder and CEO Tom Henderson. “But we are very well set up and organized in the country and able to get help to people in need swiftly.” ShelterBox is working in Pakistan with the National Rural Support Program (NRSP) and local Rotarians.
Each ShelterBox contains a 10-person tent, blankets, water purification and cooking equipment, basic tools, a stove and other essential equipment. Every box is individually numbered and can be tracked by donors.
For more information please contact: Leslie Diefenbach, tel.: 941-907-6036, e-mail: leslied@shelterboxusa.org.