Just speak for yourself. It's not that complicated. If you have some disposable or spare cash then you can donate to this appeal, you can donate to other worthy causes or you can spend it on something else. This is a disaster on a massive scale, it is being reported on at the moment, the images are representative of what is happening, if you feel it is guilt tripping then that is your impression, guilt is not my over riding feeling...sadness is.
Thank you for keeping this here as an aide memoir El Loro.

Hevva strikes again
Thanks for the reminder, Loro. I was at the Edgbaston test match at the weekend and DEc volunteers were collecting there, but I've now also donated online

Very selective extracts from today's BBC article so as not to get everyone down too much:

Pakistan's military has been using helicopters to drop food to people in the Kot Addu and Sanawa areas of Punjab province

On Monday, a new international radio initiative called "info-as-aid" made its first broadcasts in Urdu and Pashto in an effort to spread information about accessing aid and also about countering disease.

With roads, bridges and railway tracks washed away, and deadly landslides increasing the isolation of many of the worst-hit areas, aid workers are having to use donkeys to deliver relief.

"It's hard to get supplies there. I would like to emphasise we are moving by foot or donkey. We are unable to get in to most places of Swat valley," Maurizio Giuliano, spokesman for the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs, told news agency Reuters.

BBC Urdu will transmit six daily bulletins in Urdu and Pashto providing vital information including how to stay safe, avoid disease and access aid.

Bump

Another bump won't hurt surely.

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From the DEC appeal website:

The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) has revealed that aid from its members has now reached over 500,000 survivors after the worst floods in Pakistan’s history.

The DEC Pakistan Floods Appeal has now raised £6 million pounds.

The flooding has now reached Sindh province, in southern Pakistan and hundreds of villages have been flooded. Reports say the protective bund at Torhi in the province's north has been breached and several barrages and dams are under threat from floodwater.

The DEC’s member agencies have now distributed aid to a total of 545,000 people affected by the worst floods to hit the country in 80 years.

Glad to hear that the aid is getting there

Bumping this thread for El Loro

Overnight bump - thanks squiggle

Quick bump as the thread is at the bottom of the page.

Another bump.

And another!

This UN Appeal just launched is of course targeted at the world, we of course are already raising money here in the UK through our DEC appeal. So far our DEC appeal has raised the best part of £10 million.

Per the BBC website:

The UN has today launched an appeal for $459m (£290m) to help victims of Pakistan's flood disaster, which has affected at least 14 million people.

UN humanitarian chief John Holmes made the announcement at the organisation's headquarters in New York, saying the aid would cover the next 90 days.

The disaster was "one of the most challenging that any country has faced in recent years", Mr Holmes said.

So far, about 1,600 people have been killed by the monsoon floods.

Mr Holmes said the funds would be used for food, clean water, shelter and medical supplies.

The "emergency response plan" would be revised after 30 days as more information came in, he added.

Earlier, a UN agency warned of serious threats to the livelihoods and food security of millions.

Devastation left by flood waters in the north and centre of the country might worsen as they continued to head south, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said.

It had reports of "100% crop losses... in many areas" and "tens of thousands" of animals dying.

'Among most challenging' Mr Holmes pointed out that almost one in ten of Pakistan's population had been affected by the floods, and at least 6 million were in need of immediate humanitarian aid

"The floodwaters have devastated towns and village, downed power and communications lines, washed away bridges and roads and inflicted major damage to buildings and houses," he said.

Pakistan's government had led the response to the floods by initiating rescue and relief operations and evacuating hundreds of thousands of people, but could not cope on its own, Mr Holmes argued.

"While the death toll may be much lower than in some major disasters, taking together the vast geographical area affected, the numbers of people requiring assistance and the access difficulties currently affecting operations in many parts of the country, it is clear that this disaster is one of the most challenging that any country has faced in recent years," he added.

"That is why the international humanitarian community has been asked to support the response by covering gaps where the needs inevitably exceed the government's response capacity, and to help prepare the initial floods response plan we are launching today."

Bump.

Please don't start that!!


It is guilt tripping - I was amazed to discover this morning that China have also been suffering terrible floods etc however that doesn't get as much reporting as the ones in Pakistan - why is that?  It just seems to be like once again we have found something terrible that has happened and we latch onto it making everyone feel as though they have to donate money regradless of anything else going on in the world.



I am not saying that what has happened isn't sad or heart breaking but I just feel that the media should stop with the guilt trip!

No one needs to feel guilty pretty_p  
The choice of donating or not is each individuals choice.
I have seen reports on both Pakistan and China.

Regards

I have been following the reports of what happened in China, and also the floods in Eastern Europe, and the cripplign heatwave in Russia - all of which are horrific and I feel for the people involved. But there is a difference in that Pakistan is pleading for help, but that for instance China has the ability to provide the help needed. There are 7000 Chinese troops at the town which was struck by the mud slide with the first troops having arrived within a few hours of the mudslide. The 45,000 local people most affected have already been evacuated to safety.

Quick bump for the thread.

Early evening bumo.

Just to let you know that so far the DEC appeal has raised £19 million.

On a world wide basis, the UN has released this  - put on the BBC website a short time ago.

The UN says it has raised nearly half the $460m (£295m) wanted for initial relief but the response remains slow.

The Asia Development Bank said it had offered to loan Pakistan $2bn to help it recover, while the World Bank has agreed to lend $900m for long-term reconstruction.

Speaking after visiting Pakistan last week, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said the situation was "heart-wrenching".