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Red Cross to increase support to flood victims |
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SPRINGFIELD -- As flood waters continue to wreak havoc on communities across Pakistan, the American Red Cross is increasing its support to $5 million to help families who have lost their homes and jobs and have little access to clean water and food.
"With over 10 million people in need of humanitarian relief we are encouraging local residents to give what they can to help the people of Pakistan," Paige Thayer, Red Cross Pioneer Valley Chapter deputy director of Chapter Support, said. "They need help desperately which is why the American Red Cross is using reserve funds in addition to Pakistan relief donations to get aid into the country more quickly."
The American Red Cross had previously committed $1 million in supplies and financial support to Pakistan relief and early this week announced a $4 million increase in support for the flood-ravaged country.
The aid will go to support the efforts of the global Red Cross and Red Crescent network on the ground in Pakistan. In addition to aid, two disaster experts are being deployed to Pakistan to help coordinate the relief efforts.
Tens of thousands of Pakistan Red Crescent staff and volunteers continue to work around the clock to distribute relief items, such as tents, water, and food to nearly 400,000 people. Thirty-seven Red Crescent field medical teams are now working up and down the flood zone and have treated more than 48,000 people, including with epidemic fears growing nearly 12,000 cases of diarrhea.
The global Red Cross and Red Crescent network is also increasing its response, with an increased appeal to help more than 900,000 people for 18 months. Seven Red Cross Emergency Response Units for relief, logistics, water and sanitation, and health are being deployed to support the ongoing relief efforts.
The Pakistan Red Crescent Society, the equivalent of the American Red Cross in Pakistan, was formed in 1947 and similarly responds to floods, fires, droughts, earthquakes and other natural disasters in the country.
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