Relief4Pakistan, US-Based Grassroots Campaign Will Generate Donations and Raise Awareness for Victims of Pakistan Floods

NEW YORK, Aug. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Pakistani Peace Builders (PPB) and ML Resources Social Vision (ML Social Vision) launched Relief4Pakistan, a rapid response, global, grassroots campaign to raise awareness and funds for flood victims in Pakistan.

"This partnership between PPB and ML Social Vision was borne of a shared dismay that media attention has been limited by the conditions on the ground and that the American public remains largely unaware of the growing disaster," said Kalsoom Lakhani, director of ML Social Vision, the venture philanthropy arm of Washington, D.C.-based ML Resources.

"The Relief4Pakistan campaign was mobilized by a committed group of volunteers to try to fill the gap left by the slow global response," said Mahnaz Fancy and Zeyba Rahman, Co-Directors of PPB, a platform for culture and action. The campaign provides a platform from which to act to galvanize public response for this natural disaster in Pakistan.

Since the end of July, the deadly floods in Pakistan have affected 20 million people and left one third of the country underwater. Reports of the first cholera case were confirmed, leading to concerns over greater fatalities from water-borne disease. Upon his return from visiting Pakistan Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-Moon, declared that he had never seen a natural disaster of this scale.

Pakistani-American actor Faran Tahir, star of Iron Man (2008) and Star Trek (2009), joined to help get the message out.  In a statement upon joining the campaign, Tahir emphasized his commitment to Pakistan and the relief efforts, "The 2004 tsunami and the recent Haiti earthquake were single events, and the response was mobilized in the aftermath. In Pakistan, we are still unaware of the full extent of the devastation from the floods. The disaster continues to unfold every day as the monsoon rains continue."

Leveraging social media platforms and personal networks to build a grassroots movement based on personal appeals, the campaign aims to empower global donors to make an impact by simultaneously raising awareness about the humanitarian crisis in Pakistan. Tahir noted, "As we watch the news and see images of the floods, we must remember the human lives at stake and their every day struggles and loss. There is a very human side to Pakistan in this crisis that must be brought into focus."

Relief4Pakistan was invited to participate in a session organized by the US Department of State at Asia Society yesterday, which included Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Ambassador Richard C. Holbrooke, USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah.  Relief4Pakistan joined leaders of critical international humanitarian relief organizations to discuss ways to expand the capacity of relief efforts to meet the growing needs of this epic disaster.

Relief4Pakistan's immediate goals focus on mobilizing donations and support for Mercy Corps' emergency relief work in the Swat Valley and the Sindh Province, two of the hardest hit areas. It will raise $100,000 for these efforts, with ML Social Vision providing the seed donation of $10,000 to jump-start the campaign.  "We are very grateful for the support of PPB and ML Social Vision," said Neal Keny-Guyer, CEO of Mercy Corps. "The floods have impacted millions Pakistanis – washing away homes, jobs and loved ones. Our team is hard at work to fill immediate needs and help Pakistanis recover and rebuild."

Mercy Corps was selected as the recipient of the donations because of its credibility and expertise in responding to global emergencies, as well as its long-term commitment to Pakistan. Lakhani noted, "Mercy Corps coordinates with local communities in Pakistan, which is crucial in first response emergency relief. We have full faith in their efforts on the ground, as well as their transparency as a global aid agency."

The Mercy Corps staff on the ground are currently addressing essential life saving needs, which includes providing clean drinking water, setting up water filtration units and distributing food and relief materials for up to 25,000 people a day. With livelihoods wiped out, longer-term goals will include cash-for-work programs to help people rebuild their lives after the devastation from the floods.

Fancy and Rahman added, "The floods began as we were wrapping up our first initiative, the 1st NY Sufi Music Festival. We immediately began focusing the attention and goodwill generated towards PPB by that cultural diplomacy effort for the urgent needs of flood relief."

More details about how to make donations can be found at http://www.Relief4Pakistan.com with additional information about the campaign available through ongoing posting on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Relief4Pakistan/151209104894802?ref=ts

SOURCE Relief4Pakistan