The Zakat Foundation of America

Aug 25, 2010

The Zakat Foundation of America (ZF), a non-profit, charitable organization, continues to distribute food, hygiene sets, clothing and other necessities in areas previously unreached in the flood zones of Pakistan. A four member team from ZF, has set up a camp in Muzaffargarh, the badly flood affected District of Southern Punjab. The team then moved by boat to evaluate the ongoing arrangements for the flood victims and the camps already operating in the vicinity. They heard the unfortunate and tearful stories from victims of the flooding.

Our team recounts their visits to some of the villages that were surrounded by flood water. One site was very near to the city but no one has visited the location to bring any food or supplies since the beginning of August. Our team spent some time with the villagers talking about their ordeal. The villagers were forced to drink rancid water due to the lack of fresh water. All their orchards, crops, trees and buildings were badly affected. The ZF team distributed bottles of mineral water and supplies to them to alleviate some of their suffering.

Mr. Fiaz told the story of his father who had left his village just prior to the flooding. When his father heard the news about the flood water entering into the village, he rushed to return to save his family. The road leading to his village was under water. He tried to trace the path of the road by feeling with his bare feet while walking in flood water that was five feet deep. He started his journey at one end of the road while his family was waiting and watching him at the other end. They were moved as they watched his valiant efforts against the flowing, flood waters to reach their location. After travelling about half a kilometer into the current he slipped into a ditch beside the road, which he could not see through the dirty flood waters. As the entire family watched he struggled to regain his footing but he was soon overpowered by the moving flood water. Within moments he drowned. There was nothing his family could do to save him.

An elder in the village of Malakan, Mr. Naza Hussain told his story. He said that people were saying that a flood is coming, but no one mentioned that flooding would be of high intensity. From evening till night the level of water was so high that the people began to climb up the trees and entire families were taking shelter on the roofs.

In the morning day light, he saw clearly that water was everywhere. All the crops and his orchards were under water; most of his animals were lost. He could not even recognize his own village. He thought it was a sea. "The size of disaster is bigger than we expected" said ZF representative, Mehmet Tarhan. "The conditions of the city indicate that epidemics will be spread in the coming day,s particularly with eye and stomach disease, so vaccinations are a priority." He added, "There are hundreds of people who are spending their days under the open, hot sky without food, water and shelter."

Please help victims of the flood. They need you.

• For just $3 a day, you can provide a complete, Iftar/hot meal for one victim of flooding.
• For just $150, you can provide a family of flood victims with a food package to last the entire month.

DONATE NOW to help Pakistan Flood Victims!
Online: www.zakat.org/donate
Call: 1.888.Zakat.US
Text ZAKATUS to 50555 to give $10 from your Zakat

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