Successful Emergency Financial Assistance Efforts for Pakistan

The US response to Pakistan’s need for emergency financial assistance has been an ongoing and overall successful campaign.  The US government has responded as well as private donor support groups to the needs of the Pakistani people following horrific flooding that began July 29; flooding that left millions homeless and over 1,000 dead.

Emergency Financial Assistance is All Encompassing

To date, US emergency assistance to Pakistan has covered all bases necessary in aide work.  This relief effort not only includes money, but continued use of US military civilian relief personnel, continued use of US military equipment and working with private agencies through grants to provide in-kind services such as water treatment and supply distribution.

The US government has directly provided $463 million in aid.  This does not include the budget dollars spent currently with 26 US military helicopters providing logistical support for relief efforts or the aircraft used to evacuate more than 26,000 flood victims while delivering supplies of about 20 million pounds across flood areas.  The US has also provided grants to partner with relief organizations such as the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Pakistan-based relief organizations, the World Food Program, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).  All of these organizations have delivered additional food, water and other necessities throughout Pakistan.  Several organizations are repairing homes and community infrastructures such as water treatment systems.  Private donations to Pakistan have surpassed $24 million.

Microgiving.com applauds the US efforts to help fill the needs of the Pakistani flood victims. And while the US government focuses on helping these and other international partners, Microgiving.com is focused on helping those in the US in need of emergency financial assistance. If you would like to become a donor and help others in need in the US, or you might benefit from our emergency financial assistance as a recipient, please visit our website at Microgiving.com.

Disaster Response Requires Preparedness

Disaster response managers of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) were prompted to advise coastal cities and states to have their “emergency response plans in place” due to Hurricane Earl’s threat against the eastern seaboard. FEMA repeatedly issues reminders that it does not issue evacuation orders. These are instead issued by local emergency managers. To minimize danger to all, local emergency managers must have sufficient plans in place in the event that evacuation is required.

North Carolina Disaster Relief

For North Carolina, it must consider that large surf, rip currents and tidal flooding on the Outer Banks of the coast may cut off the primary evacuation route, Highway 12. This means that local emergency managers may have to make an early evacuation call. If they wait too long, even if only to see how close Earl could get to the inland, evacuation could be too late.

While flooding is the primary concern, this obviously does not mean that winds travelling in excess of 135 mph are not a worry. Earl has shown the collateral damage he can deliver; he didn’t land in Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands, but his winds caused 200,000 people to lose power. For North Carolina and other areas in Earl’s northern path, disaster response must be prepared for winds and flooding.

And while federal, state and local officials must be ready with their disaster response, so too must organizations such as Microgiving. As the hurricane season prolongs, there will be a greater need to donate online as lives are touched by the damaging winds and flooded areas. Disaster response requires preparedness at all levels; federal, state, local and individual. Giving is truly the best gift one can bestow, and you can be sure your noble actions are making a difference.

Need for Flood Relief Not Always a Global Issue

Demanding help with flood relief for their homes, residents in Grimes, Iowa, met with leaders from their City Council this week. According to reports, sewers and creeks overflowed in the city of Grimes and caused damage to some 20 homes, many of which will require substantial repair before they can be considered habitable.  City officials have not commented as yet on the prospect of flood relief and have instead suggested that residents contact FEMA to determine if they are eligible for federal help.

If you have been affected by flooding, you can find out if you are eligible for disaster assistance by visiting the government’s Disaster Assistance website and completing the online questionnaire here.  After taking a short quiz, you will be provided with a list outlining assistance for which you may be eligible.

Small Area Damage Means You Wade Through Flood Relief Alone

While we sincerely hope all individuals in need are given the aid they desperately need, you must bear in mind that there is no guarantee that you will be eligible for assistance, and any help that you are entitled to may not be provided without additional cost. For instance, of the 21 options identified with a trial quiz, the majority of results offered loan options to help with short-term needs.

We will always hear of major communities that have been devastated by flooding, but very often do we hear of the “smaller” devastation that can affect a community. “Small” is always a relative term – devastation to one’s home will always have a profound affect on an individual’s life. If you would like to donate online to those who are unable to benefit from flood relief, please do so now to help someone less fortunate than yourself.

Cedar Rapids Area Volunteers Needed!!

Attention MicroGivers! Today and tomorrow, July 15^th and 16^th, MicroGiving will be looking for volunteers in the Cedar Rapids area. The volunteers will be asked to work 3-4 hour shifts from 9am – 6pm on both days. The volunteer’s will be in charge of registering those in need of financial aid at the MicroGiving site. The goal is to link individual families in need with donors willing to give. Most residents are without internet access, so MicroGiving will be bringing computers to them! MicroGiving has decided to match up to $25,000 in donations made towards Cedar Rapids Relief through MicroGiving.com. So whatever you donate, it will actually be doubled! Please do what you can to spread the word about these efforts, the more volunteers and donators, the more people we can help. A Facebook group has been created to keep everyone updated on MicroGiving’s relief efforts. Everybody please stay updated and do what you can to help this cause.

Take a look at MG’s Flickr page so you can better grasp the hardships these people are dealing with.