Author Archive
Time to Act …Pakistan Flood Relief
The recent flooding in Pakistan has been rated by the United Nations as the greatest humanitarian crisis that the UN has ever faced. It has already affected more people than the tsunami in Southeast Asia and the recent earthquake in Haiti.
UN spokesperson Maurizio Giuliano said: “This disaster is worse than the Southeast Asia tsunami, the 2005 Pakistan earthquake and the Haiti earthquake.”
Although the current 1,600 death represents a fraction of the 610,000 people killed in the three previous events, some 20 million people (6 million are children) have been impacted. We can help the living.
The UN estimated that over $1 billion will be needed to help Pakistan once the rains stop. The World Food Program said that 4 million people will need food supplies for three months after the rains stop.
We have put together a partial list of credible and well known International charity organizations that prospective donors can support. For an extensive list of Relief organization please visit our Floods 2010 Wiki Page. Additionally we have partnered with OFF-ROAD PAKISTAN and BEHBUD ASSOCIATION in driving a grassroots relief drive in Sindh. For information click here.
An Open Letter from Hollywood Actor Faran Tahir
By Faran Tahir
“The eyes see. The ears hear. Yet somehow, the mind struggles to grasp the full dimension of this catastrophe. Almost 20 million people need shelter, food & emergency care. At least 160,000 square kilometers of land is under water – an area larger than more than half the countries of the world. The needs are great, and this disaster is far from over.”
As the Pakistan Floods, the world’s worst natural disaster, unfolds and horrific images emerge, we cannot help feeling overwhelmed and also feeling a great sense of responsibility. 1,639 people are confirmed dead, 20 million people are displaced and at risk for disease and even death. Out of which 4 million children are at high-risk for water borne diseases. These staggering numbers just keep growing as this catastrophe keeps unraveling. To put this in context, Greater Los Angeles has 14 million people alone. If we knew of an impending disaster heading to our cities, wouldn’t we help?
Read the rest of this entry »
4×4 OFFROAD Relief Mission 1 … Sukkur & Shikarpur
Faisal Kapadia and Dr. Awab Alvi head to Sukkur and Shikarpur along withoffroadpakistan & SA Relief to deliver relief to the affectees in the region. During the trip they produced the 22nd episode of the Laidback Show
Devastating floods have affected the lives of millions of people in Pakistan. To assist in the response efforts, the San Deigo based mobile chip maker Qualcomm has made a $50,000 donation to Oxfam America’s Pakistan Flood Relief and Recovery Fund.
Oxfam America and its partners are currently working to provide safe evacuation to hundreds of thousands of people, and providing clean water, food, and sanitation facilities for tens of thousands of displaced and stranded survivors.
Reported by: Saibrina Akhtar
To find out if your company has a matching program, please visit our Corporate Response page here.
Call to Action: Help #Hash the Floods …
Twitter users, wondering how you can help the Pakistan Flood Relief cause? Here is one way: re-tweet one of the following tweets …
Twitter Campaign 1 …Corporate Matching Funds:
It’s about Us, Acting Now, for Them…HELP #Pkfloods victims. Get ur company to match: http://bit.ly/acNtU0 #<Companu> #<company> (via @arrafiq)
Replace <company> with names of a well known Fortune 1000 corporation. Make sure you to leave (via @arrafiq), that will enable us to track the campaign.
Twitter Campaign 2 … Call for donations:
It’s about Us, Acting Now, for Them…HELP #Pkfloods victims. Donate to: http://ow.ly/2xgBJ #<Popular Hashtag> #<Popular Hashtagy> (via @arrafiq)
Replace <Popular Hashtag> with a popular Twitter hashtag, preferably a trending tag
“Pakistan Then and Now” Montage
PayPal Credits Transaction Fee for PK Relief
To support those impacted by the Pakistan disaster, PayPal will credit transactional fees incurred from July 29 to September 23, 2010, to any US 501(c)(3) organization or Canada Revenue Agency registered charity raising money to aid Pakistan relief.
All organizations collecting for disaster relief in Pakistan are eligible to receive fee credits. These will be issued for qualifying US 501c3 and Canada Revenue Agency registered charities raising funds for Pakistan relief between July 29 and September 23, an extension of the standard 30 days since the disaster has unfolded over weeks. Please send an e-mail to nonprofit@paypal.com for fee credit consideration. Continue reading.
Having said that online donations collected for the 4×4 OFF-ROAD Relief Campaign are being done by Paksef (Pakistan Science & Engineering Foundation) a 501(c)(3) non-profit Corporation in California.
4×4 OFF ROADERS Mission 3 to Thatta
Convoy on the way to thatta with 20,000, (7155 of these packed till 2am last night) ready to eat meals comprising of one sheermal, 2 packets of chips, 4 packets of biscuits, 1 carton of milk, 1 bottle of mineral water, 1 packet of dates to feed the exodus moving out of thatta towards hyderabad Awab Alvi and Faisal Kapadia would like to thank all the volunteers who helped us till late last night, you are inspiring!!
Click to watch live updates via Twiter and GPS
Benefit Qawaali for Flood Relief at Indus Valley School, Karachi
Join us for an evening of devotional music at Indus Valley School as Fareed Ayaz & Brothers pay tribute to legendary Sufi poets and thinkers, ranging from Hazrat Amir Khusrau to Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi. Fareed Ayaz’s qavvaal party belongs to the 705 year old “Qavvaal Bachon Ka Gharana” of Delhi. They are the sons of the legendary Munshi Raziuddin and are internationally acclaimed as being amongst the finest qavvaals of the sub-continent. To better understand this form of devotional, Sufi music read: Soul Music, article printed May 2006 in Newsline
When: Saturday, August 28, 2010 at 10:30pm
Venue: Indus Valley School of Art & Architecture
Minimum Donation: Rs. 1,000
Passes Now Available: T2F, Espresso, Nando’s (Boat Basin & SMCHS), Indus Valley School
For information contact: PeaceNiche
Us Now: 8/29 Bay Area Fund & Awareness Raiser
“I will never forget the destruction and suffering I have witnessed today. In the past I have witnessed many natural disasters around the world, but nothing like this.” – Ban Ki-Moon, UN Secretary General.
If Not Us, Who?
If Not Now, When?
Join us on Sunday August 29th, at an Iftar and Dinner Gathering as we raise funds for and awareness of the plight of 20 million Pakistanis affected by the worst floods in the history of our nation.
This event is sponsored and supported by Bay Area Organizations including OPEN SV, SA Relief, APPNA, Mashal, TCF, DIL, HDF, Your DIL, PACC, and SV-PAK.
Donations:
- 100% of your donations (with NO deduction for event costs) will benefit a relief organization of your choice from the following:
- Relief International [check payable to"Relief International"]
- Islamic Relief [check payable to"Islamic Relief"]
- APPNA [check payable to"APPNA"]
- American Red Cross [check payable to "American Red Cross"]
- The Citizens Foundation [Check payable to "TCF"]
- Hidaya Foundation [check payable to "Hidaya"]
- HumanityFirst [check payable to "HumanityFirst"
- Developments in literacy (DIL) [check payable to "Developments In Literacy"]
- Human Development Fund (HDF) [Check payable to "Human Development Fund"]
All cheques will be payable directly to the organization you choose. On the check’s memo line, write: “ATTN: Pakistan Flood Relief”
You can also donate online to one of the four charities (specifying, “Pak Flood Relief” as your casue). Email us that receipt and your table/seat will be reserved.
Corporate Donation Matching Program: If your company has a dollar match for donations, you can fully use this program in purchasing tables or seats as well as in day of event donations, since all donations are to be made directly to charities listed above (and one or more of which will be in your company’s approved list).