animals.
And before you dismiss that as inconsequential, you must know that in this part of the world, milk and animal products are a critical source of nutrients for an extremely poor country.
Often a family's herd is effectively their "money stuffed in a mattress". Now, countless families have not just seen their homes washed away, but the most important investment they owned drowned and gone forever. There is not a magic disaster insurance that will replace these lost animals. People must now depend on those with something to give; they have no other choice.
Help Pakistan is a group dedicated to getting needed humanitarian support to flood ravaged Pakistan, and disseminating information pertaining to the floods to the dailykos community at large. Our goal is getting donations to those people who need it most.
If you have a negative comment pertaining to Pakistan, its people, its culture, or its relationship with the United States, please refrain from making it here. If you would like to be a part of our group, please click the picture.
The people of Pakistan have a very intimate relationship with their livestock (Please don't make a joke in the comments.) There are many thousands of people who take their herds high into the hills when the snow melts where they live with them away from their families all summer, kind of like the film "Brokeback Mountain" (again: No jokes, please.)
This young girl, with her emerald green eyes, reminded me of the famous National Geo cover.
From my blog about my time in Pakistan in 2004:
It’s especially nice that the porters speak enough English to translate when encountering local herders and other villagers en route. Mine were able to inform me that a herd of over 100 goats get milked twice a day and they all have names! Hence this region, with its abundant wildlife, countless towering peaks and sprawling glaciers is likely the ideal locale for those with a taste for long nature walks.
Now, easily tens of thousands of people who were depending on these animals for their milk for chai, protein in meals, load-bearing, and more will have to learn to live without.
And imagine if these creatures were akin to our pets. We have seen some heart-wrenching diaries recently about pets who have died.
Now imagine that same pet also fed your children.
From the site linked by the photo in the intro:
Floods have killed over 200,000 animals already, and destroyed so many crops that finding enough food for surviving grazing animals is difficult. Pakistanis are now forced to either sell or give away their animals at market because they cannot feed them, or watch their animals lose ground to hunger and disease.
You can help these animals survive until times are better. Your donation provides emergency food and medical aid for Pakistan's animals who have survived the floods but are in immediate danger.
They are trying to fill a void, can you help them?
http://www.greatergood.org/
I actually found this info in today's pootie diary (in which a button used to feed animals is linked daily)
100% of this gift goes to GreaterGood.org, earmarked for assistance to animals in the aftermath of the devastating flooding in Pakistan and other parts of South Asia.
• • • • • •
I'm going to take it easy on the heartbreaking photos of starving children in this diary. Instead, I culled 2 cartoons from JekyllnHyde's diary yesterday which sum things up better than my typing could.
First, this is exactly how I view the American populace overall.
We sit here on our $700 computers reading about this and think "if only I had something extra to give."
This next one gives us the perspective about just how woefully short of the goals we are falling.
Some of us here have been very generous, and I thank each and every one of you.
Others have chosen instead to ignore this crisis abroad for whatever reason.
They have been in need for over one month.
They need our help now more than ever.
• • • • • •
Don't have money to spare?
That's OK.
Please consider signing this petition to forgive Pakistan's debt so they can instead use their scant resources to aid the suffering millions of people in their country.
Sign the Avaaz.org Petition
Click
< ===== HERE
• • • • • •
If you can spare a couple lattes' worth of cash, you will be making a big difference in someone's life today.
Greg (Three Cups of Tea, Stones Into Schools) Mortenson's non-profit (CAI ) recommends supporting a local (Pakistani) group to which donations will likely have a large, immediate, and lasting impact-
Human Development Foundation
http://www.hdf.com
(800) 705 1310
DONATE
• • • • • •
Other groups that deserve support as well.
Doctors without Borders (MSF):
DONATE
The Red Cross:
DONATE
OXFAM:
DONATE
UNICEF:
DONATE
Toll free: 1-800-FOR-KIDS (1-800-367-5437)
Text: "Text FLOODS to 864233 (UNICEF) to donate $10"
Shelterbox:
DONATE
ShelterBox tents in Shishkat upper Hunza, Pakistan
• • • • • •
From the US State dept.
How You Can Help:
Text "FLOOD" to 27722. Your $10 will go to the State Department Fund for Pakistan Relief that Secretary Clinton announced August 19, and is part of a new effort to bring attention to the need for aid.
Text "SWAT" to 50555 ; $10 goes to United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees fund for flood victims
We are looking at what may be the worst humanitarian crisis the world has seen in a century.
Some of us at Daily Kos use a Google group to help organize for the crisis in Pakistan. Anyone who would like to get involved, share resources, or get alerts when a new HELP PAKISTAN diary is posted, please join.
*<==== CLICK THE PIC *</p>