Millions of Pakistani people are fighting to overcome the tragedy caused by the floods, after having seen their houses and their fields devastated by the fury of waters.
The flood wave now left the north of the Country towards the Sind region, but the fields will still be flooded for several weeks, prolonging the anguish and the misery of those who would want to start to rebuild their existence.
In this dramatic scenario, in which the international solidarity toils to take off, the Community of Sant'Egidio is moving on various fronts. After the inspections and the first distributions of water and food, we have intensified the collections of helps carried out directly in the large towns of Lahore, Islamabad and Faisalabad.
Sant'Egidio obtained the permission to carry out collections in some department stores of the rich districts. An initiative that provoked first the curiosity, then the solidal reaction of many. To offer one's own help, without minding the social origin or the religious belief, helps to overcome the feeling of powerlessness that hit indiscriminately the Pakistani people in these days. The helps collected will soon be distributed together with those coming from Europe in the tent city of Nowshera, at the periphery of the capital.
But also from Europe the Community of Sant'Egidio managed to send emergency relief goods. A great amount of medicinals fundamental for treatment of malaria, cholera and dysentery were sent last week via the Pakistani embassy in Italy and have already landed in Islamabad thanks to the airlifts. Especially appreciated are baby food and diapers, since most of the population is made of children.
Pharmacies, Pharmaceutical companies and other companies of Latium are contributing not only with medicines but also with other goods of first necessity; the Pakistani authority ask particularly for ready foods, like cookies, cans of vegetables and food compliant with the islamic traditions.
The gratitude for a so timely response testifies the connection of the Community with Pakistan, land that has experienced many disasters, that awaits in the solidarity a hope for its future.
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