Pakistan floods - 7 months on

Summary of the Pakistan floods

• The worst disaster of its kind in 80 years
• At the peak of the floods, the land area of the worst affected provinces (Kyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Sindh) was larger than the whole of the United Kingdom
• According to the Pakistan government, 20 million people have been affected through loss of homes and livelihoods - more than the total number of victims affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the 2005 Kashmir earthquake and the 2010 Haiti earthquake combined
• 1.8 million houses damaged or destroyed

7 months on - February 2011 update

Vast areas of agricultural land could not be cultivated this planting season because they were under water, covered with silt, or families did not have the necessary seeds and tools. One older man, Sher Shah, told us, 'The floods affected every person, every house. The water level treats everyone equally, whether they are rich or poor. Everyone here lost everything.'

We participated in the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) appeal and delivered emergency relief programmes through our sister organisation, HelpAge International.  We distributed 12,000 winter kits containing blankets and clothing and 2,000 food packages to older people. Working with the British medical aid agency Merlin, we also ensured that 23,470 older people received urgent medical assistance.

 View HelpAge International's gallery of images from Pakistan on the Guardian website

Older Peoples Association's

Following the floods, we helped older people in Nowshera district to set up Older People’s Associations (OPAs) to manage and distribute cash grants to the most vulnerable people in later life. These payments help cover food, repair houses, pay off loans, or allow older people to buy tools or livestock lost in the floods. Others have bought stock to set up small businesses.

Over the next 18 months, we intend to set up more OPAs who will be trained to manage a revolving fund for income-generating activities. Older people will receive assistance to prevent and manage chronic illness, mental health and psycho-social issues. We will establish eye care camps in three districts, distributing glasses and organising cataract operations. We will also distribute mobility aids, such as walking sticks and crutches. And once OPAs have identified volunteer health workers, they will train primary carers (normally family members) of older people in appropriate home-based care.

• Sher Shah, a member of an OPA says: 'The OPAs are not just for giving money. People come to talk about their problems and as members we support them.' 
• Jamila Bibi is 67 years old and has been unable to walk since contracting polio as a child. We have provided Jamila with a pair of crutches, bedding and clothing.