More than 33 million people have been affected by the torrential monsoon rains that have brought unprecedented flooding to Pakistan.

More than 33 million people have been affected by the torrential monsoon rains that have brought unprecedented flooding to Pakistan — almost the equivalent of the entire population of Canada.

Pakistan has already had twice the amount of rainfall expected in a year, and the monsoon season is not over yet.

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In Ottawa, the Pakistani community has geared up to help out.

“I’m seeing all the news reports and videos. It’s so heartbreaking,” said Sadaf Ebrahim, president of the Canada Pakistan Association of the National Capital Region.

“We are so far away, but we are doing our best to do something. Some people have lost everything. It’s really hard.”

Volunteers with the association are collecting new and gently-used clothing for flood victims and plan to ship a 40-foot container of donated goods on Oct. 3. Volunteers will continue to accept donations every weekend until Oct. 2.

Donations have come from as far away as Montreal and Toronto, Ebrahim said. Already, one storage unit has been filled and another has been opened.

On Wednesday, 100 tents were delivered to the Akhuwat Foundation in Pakistan for delivery to flooded areas thanks to donations to the Canada Pakistan Association of the National Capital Region. Each tent costs $100, and fundraising to buy more tents continues.

Meanwhile, colder weather is coming, and flood victims have to be prepared, Ebrahim said.

“We are requesting more winter items such as coats, children’s shoes and blankets, as well as personal hygiene products and first-aid kits.”

Across Canada and around the world, aid agencies are also working on a response to a natural disaster of mind-boggling proportions.

The UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, has mounted a massive airlift from Dubai to focus on the hardest-hit areas of southern Sindh province, bringing 40,000 sleeping mats, 15,000 kitchen sets and 5,000 multi-use tarpaulins. Trucks carrying tents for 11,000 were expected to be the first of many convoys headed to flood-ravaged areas.

The Canadian Red Cross’ senior operations manager with international operations, Chiran Livera, was on his way to Pakistan this past week for a posting as head of emergency response operations. As of Tuesday, the Canadian Red Cross has raised $1.3 million for its Pakistan floods appeal.

“Now we are in the life-saving phase. People need the basics. They need shelter, they need food, they need medicine,” said Kelsey Lemon, the Canadian Red Cross vice-president of international cooperation and programs.

Those on the ground are concerned about waterborne disease such as cholera — and there’s already some evidence of it, Lemon said. Flood-affected areas also have a high risk of malaria and dengue fever, which are both spread by mosquitoes.

Infrastructure that has been destroyed or damaged will make it harder to get to victims. The floods have washed out thousands of roads and destroyed at least 150 bridges, which will increase the complexity of relief efforts, Lemon said.

The death toll is still rising. Although about 1,300 deaths were officially reported early this week, it’s likely much higher than that, she said. There are also 1.3 million Afghan refugees in Pakistan, with an estimated 425,000 of those refugees in flood-affected areas living in host communities.

The UNHCR is concerned about the situation in neighbouring Afghanistan, where several areas have also been hit by heavy rains following an earthquake in the southeast in June. More rain is expected and several key dams may reach capacity, posing flooding risks if they breach.

“There have been millions of homes that have been destroyed. We are expecting it to get worse,” Lemon said.

Entire villages have been swept away and people are living out in the open with basic sheets over their heads for shelter, a spokesperson for CARE Canada said.

Due to the widespread destruction of homes, roads, schools, health facilities and other infrastructure and the loss of livestock, some of the most pressing needs are to provide safe shelter and access to clean water and food. In times of disaster, women and girls are among the most vulnerable.

In the short term, CARE is distributing shelter kits including tarps and ropes as well as everyday essentials including sanitary and personal care items, water purification tablets, cooking pots, cups, plates, jerry cans, mosquito nets, and latrine kits.

Long-term plans include rehabilitating or constructing permanent shelters, water systems, and household latrines and providing agricultural resources like seeds and tools, and kits to raise poultry to recover livelihoods.

Like many other humanitarian organizations, CARE Canada supports locally-led solutions, working in partnerships with the its local team and international partners.

Ottawa-based Jason Nickerson, the humanitarian representative to Canada for Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières or MSF), said MSF had staff already working on projects in Pakistan.

“As an emergency response organization, we pivot,” he said. “In an emergency like this, the most pressing needs are going to be access to clean water and sanitation infrastructure. There’s also a significant need for shelter.”

MSF is now considering how to mobilize its emergency teams, which includes physicians, nurses, logisticians, supply chain management specialists, administrators, water engineers and epidemiologists.

“When there’s flooding like this, the risk of gastroenteritis and other waterborne diseases increases, and vector-borne diseases like dengue. We need to ensure access to clean drinking water,” Nickerson said.

“From our perspective, there’s capacity in the country. In an emergency like this, the communities are the true first responders. We bring a medical focus and expertise.”

Pakistan is witnessing unprecedented impacts of climate change, CARE Pakistan’s country director, Adil Sheraz, said in a statement. The floods come only a few months after deadly heat waves.

“This adds to a global picture of widespread climate disruptions. Pakistan contributes less than 1 per cent of the global emissions, but is now at the receiving end of climate change,” Sheraz said. “It’s only fair that countries with high per-capita emissions drastically step up their efforts in supporting emergency measures to address this growing loss and damage.”

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