Pakistan has been ravaged by massive flooding in recent weeks, thanks to a horrendous monsoon season that, in many places, has dumped as much rainfall in a day or two as the region experiences over the course of an entire year. And the raining simply hasn't stopped, with many areas expecting substantially more precipitation over the coming weeks. When the rain will end is anybody's guess, but there's plenty of misery to come for a people already being pushed to the limit of human capacity to endure.
Thousands of Pakistanis have already died from the raging flood waters, and hundreds of thousands are in jeopardy of experiencing a similar fate if help does not reach them within the next few weeks. It's a human tragedy on a breathtaking scale.
Sadly, many Pakistanis are clinging steadfast to their huts and mud homes as the flood waters approach, hoping to preserve what little possessions they have in this world, knowing that if they leave, there is no turning back, nor will there ever be an opportunity to reclaim what they had before this horrendous rainy season commenced. Why? Because a great deal of Pakistan's infrastructure has been destroyed by the flooding, along with thousands of square miles of land.
I saw first-hand the devastation caused by hurricane Katrina to the state of Louisiana, and the city of New Orleans in particular, during a mission trip a few months after the hurricane struck. The amount of destruction was mind boggling, and I've never found adequate words to describe what I witnessed. But that experience left an indelible mark in my mind on the need for providing immediate assistance to people who've suffered horrendous destruction from the forces of nature, and I hope people who read this blog will make a point of seeking some way to contribute to efforts to deal with this calamity.
Church World Service is an exceptionally well-connected, efficiently run entity that is providing disaster assistance in Pakistan and is a worthy conduit for channeling emergency aid to Pakistanis in need. Their website is: http://www.churchworldservice.org
I hope you'll consider making a donation.
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