Joint India-Pakistan forum launched for relief in Pak, Leh

By TCN News,

New Delhi: Some civil society organisations and concerned citizens of India and Pakistan recently met in Amritsar and later in Lahore and decided to launch a Joint India-Pakistan Forum for Relief to help the flood affected people of Pakistan and Leh – India at the time of this grave crisis.

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The Confederation of Voluntary Associations (COVA), under whose banner the joint forum has been set up, has appealed people to donate generously for the relief efforts. All the funds collected will be spent for the victims of the disasters in Pakistan and Leh. “We will transfer the money, medicines to the affected people with the help of High Commission for Pakistan, New Delhi and Red Cross and to credible voluntary organisations with impeccable track record in Leh,” COVA said in a statement.

Flood in NWFP, Pakistan [Photo: alameer.org]

The Sub-Continent is once again devastated by calamities- The unprecedented floods in Pakistan have severely affected one third of the country and the cloud burst in Leh-India has devastated a number of towns and villages and rendered many homeless and destitute.

According to even conservative estimates, more than 20 million (2 crore) people in Pakistan have been affected. The province of Khyber Pakhtonkhwa (earlier NWFP) is the most affected. Scores of villages have been swept away. The devastation has also affected Southern Punjab and some parts of Sindh province. UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has said that upto 3.5 million children are at great risk from waterborne diseases. Similarly severe damage to life and livelihoods has occured in Ladakh.

The gigantic task of providing timely relief to and the rehabilitation of the affected people poses an enormous challenge. The United Nation (UN) has launched an appeal for $ 459 million to help the estimated 20 million people affected by the floods. The International Community is mobilising resources and sending it in kind and cash to Pakistan for relief.

Cheques / Demand drafts may be drawn in favour of COVA (Confederation of Voluntary Associations) payable at Hyderabad- India. Contact Details: COVA, 20-4-10, Charminar, Hyderabad- A.P. India- 500002. Ph: +91- 40- 24572984, Fax: 24574527,
Email: [email protected]

Flood in Leh, India [Photo: AMI]

All Indian contributors can avail tax exemption under Section 80 G. Receipts of the donations and a Report of the relief provided, along with a statement of accounts will be provided to all the contributors.

The appeal has been signed by the following dignitaries:

COVA is a national network of voluntary organizations dedicated to the issues of social harmony, peace and justice. The prime focus of COVA is on citizenship rights and on perspective building for harmony and peace in South Asia.