IOCC Mobilizes Food Aid to Flood Victims in Pakistan

Baltimore, MD (August 12, 2010) — Torrential rains and flooding over the course of July and early August have now affected an estimated 14 million people in Pakistan according to reports from the Government of Pakistan. Widespread flooding has devastated large parts of the country destroying homes, leaving people without food, clean water and shelter and exposing millions to the threat of disease.

In response to the emergency, IOCC has mobilized food assistance to vulnerable people in the flood affected communities of Wazirabad, Gujranwala and Faisalabad, Pakistan. The IOCC response is being coordinated with the Orthodox Mission in Pakistan with the blessing of His Eminence, Metropolitan Nektarios of Hong Kong and South East Asia.

“We pray for those who have perished and for the millions of people whose lives are threatened by this ongoing disaster,” says IOCC Executive Director Constantine Triantafilou. “With rain continuing to fall, the magnitude of this disaster continues to grow and much more aid will be needed.”

You can help the victims of disasters around the world, like the floods in Pakistan, by making a financial gift to the IOCC International Emergency Response Fund, which will provide immediate relief as well as long-term support through the provision of emergency aid, recovery assistance and other support to help those in need. To make a gift, please visit www.iocc.org, call toll free at 1-877-803-IOCC (4622), or mail a check or money order payable to IOCC, P.O. Box 17398, Baltimore, Md. 21297-0429.

IOCC, founded in 1992 as the official humanitarian aid agency of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA), has implemented over $330 million in relief and development programs in 33 countries around the world.

###