Millions of people in Pakistan are in urgent need of help after devastating floods have left vast swathes of the country under water. There are 16 million older people in Pakistan, with around 2.3 million thought to be affected by the flooding – a group particularly at risk due to their increased vulnerability to diseases, mobility issues, and existing health conditions.
HelpAge International is working with partners to support 8,000 older people in the most affected areas of Jhal Magsi district in Balochistan province and Khairpur district in Sindh province, including providing food, shelter, basic health care, cash so that older people can buy what they specifically need, blankets and pots and pans, assistive devices, such as walking sticks, and psychosocial support.
Older people facing health catastrophe but are being ignored
A new survey on the impact of the floods in Pakistan on older people reveals that hundreds of lives are needlessly being put at risk due to the decimation of health services and the rise of diseases like malaria and diarrhoea, which can be killers to older people with weaker immune systems.
Older people affected by devastating floods in Pakistan
With so many areas of Pakistan badly affected by the disaster, older people aren’t always given priority. This is the story of their fight for survival.
Wading through water to distribute vital aid
Staff from HelpAge partner, Community Development Foundation, have had to wade through water shoulder high in Balochistan to reach communities who have been cut off for weeks by the devastating floods in Pakistan.
Older people in Pakistan plead for humanitarian assistance
As millions of people are in urgent need of help after devastating floods have vast swathes of Pakistan under water, HelpAge International staff are on the ground speaking to older people from different villages in Pir Piai, Nowshera District.
Urgent support needed for older people devastated by floods in Pakistan
Thousands of older people are struggling to survive the unprecedented floods in Pakistan, but they are not receiving the help they need.
Muhmmad Salih, 75
Muhmmad Salih (75) is now living with his family in the open air as the mud-plastered home he shared with his wife and four children was completely destroyed by the heavy rains and his livestock were killed.
Robina Bughio, 56
Heavy rains and floods destroyed Robina’s house, leaving her with nothing. After spending a few days living in the open, her health deteriorated, and she contracted typhoid
Haji Noor Muhammad, 70
Haji Noor Muhammad (70) is paralysed down the right side of his body so when heavy rains destroyed his home, he struggled to make it to a safer place.
