Arlington, VA – August 19, 2010 – An estimated 20 million people have been affected, and another 1,500 killed, by the recent torrential rains and flooding in Pakistan. Entire villages have been swept away, and the destruction is developing into one of the worst humanitarian disasters in years. International Relief and Development (IRD), in coordination with the Government of Pakistan, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and various international and local humanitarian organizations, is helping thousands of families and children in five of the most heavily affected flood districts in Pakistan. 

IRD is currently distributing tents, sleeping mats, blankets, water purification tablets, jerry cans, and oral rehydration salts. IRD is also sending additional relief personnel to help our staff on the ground distribute supplies and assist those families in urgent need of food, water, medicine, and shelter.

IRD is also making clean drinking water available to 21,000 people through water tankers, restoring safe water points to meet the needs of 70,000 individuals, and conducting hygiene education as part of all our activities. In addition, IRD is re-stocking flood-damaged health clinics with essential medicines, focusing on treatments for water borne illnesses, oral rehydration salts, and primary health care pharmaceuticals. 

The following individuals are experts in their field and available to talk with the media regarding the emergency response in Pakistan:

Adam Koons, IRD Director of Relief, has been working in development and relief for 26 years. He has worked for the Peace Corps, USAID, CARE International, Save the Children, the United Nations, President Carter’s Presidential Commission on World Hunger, and several other development agencies. Koons specializes in food security, economic development, and disaster relief, and has more than 15 years of long-term overseas experience in countries like Haiti, Niger, Sudan, and Kenya. Koons holds a Ph.D. in Economic and Applied Anthropology from American University in Washington, D.C.

Sajjad Imran, IRD Pakistan Country Director, oversees all of IRD’s operations in Pakistan, including the USAID-funded Emergency Water and Sanitation program in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province. This emergency program was created in response to floods in 2008 and fighting between Taliban forces and the Pakistani military that displaced more than one million people in early 2009. The program provides sanitation facilities and water and medical supplies, as well as organizes hygiene committees to help prevent the spread of disease.

Jim Lanning, IRD Director of Acquisitions and Logistics, came to IRD in January 2007 from ADRA International, where he served as Director of Acquisitions for 13 years. Prior to working at ADRA, Lanning worked in the development field, including for 11 years as vice-president of an architectural/engineering firm that specialized in health care. He holds two Bachelor of Science degrees, in business and health care management, both from Columbia Union College in Takoma Park, MD.

To schedule an interview with Adam Koons, Sajjad Imran, or Jim Lanning, contact Melissa Price at press@ird-dc.org or 571-366-1596.

More information on IRD’s work in Pakistan can be found at www.ird.org/what/countries/pakistan.html. You can also stay up-to-date on the latest Pakistan floods relief efforts at www.ird.org, by following @ird_relief on Twitter, joining us on Facebook, or becoming a contact on Flickr.