August 08, 2007	Wednesday	Rajab 23, 1428

ISLAMABAD, Aug 7: The Potohar Organisation for Development Advocacy (PODA) has distributed medicines and food among 200 flood affected families in Sindh. Each family has been given 1 bag, containing ladies and children’s clothes, anti-malaria medicine, water purification tablets, skin cream, rice, flour, pulses, sugar, cooking oil, match box, candles, soap, salt, pepper and other household items, says a press release issued here on Tuesday.

Sameena Nazir, executive director PODA, said that books and stationery will be sent to the flood-hit areas in the next batch of aid kits to ensure that children’s education does not continue to be disrupted.

She said that the PODA had raised money from the Global Fund for Children (GFC) to support the relief effort. She appealed to the government to take immediate action to provide physical, psychological, social health care for the flood affected children.

Ms Nazir said the GFC have carried out research and consultation with aid agencies and activists and produced guidelines on how to take care of the needs of children during disasters.

The PODA has circulated these guidelines to the other organisations that are helping the people in the flood affected areas. The PODA also requested that these organisations should show special concern for the care of children and that they should consider the GFC guidelines when planning their relief actions.

In order to manage the distribution of aid, the PODA has worked with Shah Sachal Sammi, a local organisation, based in Nawabshah (Sindh) to distribute the items to most affected people in district Dadu.