Pakistan has been the subject of global headlines recently, but it's not good news for the South Asian country. In fact, it's been nothing short of devastating. More than a third of Pakistan is currently underwater after an unprecedented monsoon season, and the people there are in desperate need of your help.
The sheer scale of this disaster is difficult to fathom. As of Wednesday, the flooding has killed more than 1,300 people and has destroyed more than a million homes.
Over 33 million people are feeling the effects of this disaster, which amounts to around 15 percent of Pakistan's population. The country's climate change minister Sherry Rehman confirmed this statistic on August 25, per CNN.
Over several weeks, relentless monsoon rains have destroyed buildings, roads and bridges and left millions of people without a home. The flash floods have even swept away entire villages, causing irreparable damage to at least 4 million acres of crops and wiping out almost 800,000 livestock, according to the International Rescue Committee.
What has caused this record flooding?
As with most extreme weather conditions in recent times, this crisis has widely been attributed to climate change.
The South Asian monsoon season runs from June until the end of September, bringing in a much-needed period of rain after the dry season. However, this year, Pakistan has been ravaged by excessive rainfall.
It is believed that the region's yearly monsoons are becoming wetter and increasingly life-threatening as a result of climate change.
"This is a climate crisis," Abdullah Fadil, UNICEF's representative in Pakistan, told CNN. "A climate that has been mostly done by richer countries, contributing to the crisis, and I think it is time that the world responded to support Pakistan in this time of need."
Reflecting on the toll climate change has taken on the country, UN secretary general António Guterres has said: "The Pakistani people are facing a monsoon on steroids - the relentless impact of epochal levels of rain and flooding.
"As we continue to see more and more extreme weather events around the world, it is outrageous that climate action is being put on the back burner as global emissions of greenhouse gases are still rising, putting all of us, everywhere, in growing danger.
"Let's stop sleepwalking towards the destruction of our planet by climate change," said Guterres, who is headed to Pakistan on September 9 for a "solidarity visit". "Today, it's Pakistan. Tomorrow, it could be your country."
Videos shared on social media show a country well and truly submerged by ongoing floods. And as the monsoon continues to wreak havoc on Pakistan, it can be difficult to know what action to take.
The simplest way you can make a difference is by donating what you can to one of the various charitable organizations providing humanitarian assistance in Pakistan as it battles record floods.
In order to help you make informed decisions, VT has compiled a list of charities accepting donations to help the millions of people affected by this crisis.
UNICEF
Renowned charity UNICEF works in more than 190 countries and territories to help disadvantaged children.
According to its estimation, over three million children are in desperate need of humanitarian aid in Pakistan and are at an increased risk of malnutrition, drowning and waterborne diseases.
Thus far, the group has delivered $1 million worth of supplies to Pakistan including medical equipment, drinking water, vaccines, food and hygiene kits for children and families.
The group is also working to set up temporary learning centers and psychological care for displaced children in the country.
Click here to donate.Muslim Hands
Muslim Hands is an international non-governmental organization in over 52 countries around the world that seeks to help those affected by various life-altering ordeals such as natural disasters.
Established in 1993, the NGO has been helping out in some of Pakistan's most affected regions - including South Punjab, Baluchistan and Sindh.
It is doing its best to provide those affected by the monsoon with cooked meals and water and to deliver food parcels and emergency relief packs. The supplies will include utensils, tents and hygiene kits. The group has also set up camps specifically for the provision of medical care.
The organization is also thinking long-term. It plans to rebuild homes and help displaced citizens rebuild their lives. It explains that homes will be built with cemented platform bases and iron roofs in order to lessen the risk of potential damage in the future.
Click here to donate.World Food Program
The World Food Programme is the United Nations branch that specializes in international food-assistance. Given that it's the world's largest humanitarian group focused on hunger and food security, it's well equipped to deal with providing food for highly populated countries struck by disaster - such as Pakistan.
“We’re really working as a team here,” says Chris Kaye, WFP Country Director and Representative in Pakistan. “We’ve built a very strong relationship with the Government. The Government is stepping up and taking leadership.”
WFP is working with the Government of Pakistan to provide humanitarian and recovery assistance to meet some of its most vulnerable citizens' basic food and nutrition requirements.
It is also continuing its efforts where food security are concerned. Indeed, it is continuing to construct feeder roads, water harvesting systems, water channels, schools and other forms of infrastructure in regions affected by floods.
Click here to donate.International Rescue Committee
As the name suggests, the IRC works on an international scale to provide humanitarian aid and relief in areas that need it most.
In flood-stricken Pakistan, the IRC's main priority at the moment is to provide food, clean drinking water, hygiene products, medical care and safe latrines for women and girls.
IRC emergency response teams have been deployed to provide immediate assistance in the country, where tens of million people have been affected by the flooding.
Click here to donate.International Medical Corps
The IMC is a first response organization that provides aid to people whose countries have been devastated by disaster, conflict or disease. The group has partnered with the Department of Health in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh to ensure Pakistani residents have the necessary medical care, water, hygiene supplies and mental health support.
Amid the ongoing crisis, the organization is providing medicines and supplies to treat a range of medical issues including acute watery diarrhoea, cholera, malaria, acute respiratory infections, and skin and eye infections.
Click here to donate.CARE
CARE is a nonprofit that works all over the world with the aim of bringing an end to poverty and providing ordinary Pakistani people with an education.
The group is currently providing flood-affected populations with emergency relief supplies, which include emergency latrine kits, tents, tarps and hygiene products such as toothbrushes, soap, period products, and underwear.
CARE Pakistan country director Adil Sheraz is calling for those lending support to focus their efforts on "women, children, and people with special needs" who, due to the country's torrential rains, are in urgent need of shelter and essential items. CARE has set up a donation hub dedicated to Pakistan flood relief, which will fund the creation of hygiene kits, blocks of emergency latrines, and temporary shelters.
Click here to donate.