According to the National Geographic and the New Scientist, the floods in Pakistan that have left 20 million people homeless were caused by the same abnormal jet stream that caused the fires in Russia, resulting in the death rate doubling in Moscow to 700 deaths per day. We need to see this summer as what it is: the first a massive new wave of climate refugees.
There are two things we can do about this:
(1) Care for our brothers and sisters in Pakistan,
and
(2) Use this as a wake-up call to try even harder to stop destroying our only home.
In a very moving diary by Aji asking for help for Pakistan, Bleeding Heart said:
I can't help but think that our Mother is trying to get us to unite as a people and literally as well as figuratively clean up our act.
Please do what you can to help the Pakistanis devastated by the floods, whether by donating, rec'ing this series of diaries, or spreading the word, by Facebook, Twitter, or just talking to your friends - when I talked to my best friend yesterday about the floods, he asked "How many inches?" He was stunned when I told him that 1/5 of the country is under water.
That would be the same amount of land as the entire state of California, flooded:
(thank you to MNPundit for the picture)
Here are many possible ways to donate - take your choice from the list below! (note: Oxfam accepts PayPal, and there's also a link on the PayPal page -- PayPal is covering the costs of transferring the donations until September 23).
AmeriCares: Medicines, medical supplies and equipment, nutritional support, etc.
Direct Relief International: Mobile health teams and medical supplies, including Pedialyte and antimicrobials.
Human Development Foundation: Relief/reconstruction, including clean water, supplies, disease prevention, sewage disposal, temporary school facilities.
Islamic Relief USA: $2 million Pakistan campaign, including on-ground needs assessments; aid distribution; general relief.
Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders): Medical care; clean water; supply kits, including mosquito netting, tarps, blankets, hygiene supplies, clothes.
Mercy Corps: Water supply kits, including tanks, purification tablets, filtration units; food supply kits, including rice, oil, staples; tool kits.
Oxfam International: Hot food; clean water; boats for search/rescue; installation of tanks and toilets; sanitation kits; hygiene supplies; cash-for-work programs.
Red Crescent: Emergency services; food packs; bulk rice; tents; other supplies; help with field operations, including shelter, water, sanitation, logistics, other relief.
Relief International: Distributing "Survival Kits," including dishes/utensils; water purification tablets; cooking stove; jerrycan; floor mat; mosquito netting; hygiene kits; etc.
ShelterBox: Distributing water carriers; filtration systems; ShelterBoxes, including 10-person partitioned weatherproof tents, insulated ground sheets, thermal blankets, mosquito netting, tool kits, stoves, dishes/utensils, water purification supplies, children's kits, etc.
(
Carolina stargazer has a
ShelterBox diary, started after the Haiti earthquake, which is collecting Dkos donations toward ShelterBoxes for Pakistan - if you want to contribute, jump over there!)
UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees): Through partner NGOs, distributing tents, sheeting/tarps, cooking sets, buckets, sleeping mats, blankets, etc.
U.S. State Department Texting Program: Forwards $10 donations to UNHCR for distribution of supplies in two provinces; text "SWAT" to 50555.
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 or get alerts when a new HELP PAKISTAN diary is posted, please join. ( CLICK THE PIC )
(Note: 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 above. We would love more volunteers to help us with the burden of getting a diary up every day. Thank you, dailykos, for your time and generosity!)