By Anwar Khan
Karachi: As torrential rains and melting glaciers caused devastation across Pakistan, killing more than 1,000 people and destroying over 217,000 homes, Transparent Hands has intensified its emergency relief operations to support affected families across multiple provinces.
According to the United Nations, environmental changes are hitting the poorest countries the hardest, and Pakistan remains among the top eight most vulnerable nations to climate disasters such as cloudbursts and flash floods. This year’s flooding triggered by heavy rains, glacier melt, and an erratic monsoon has displaced millions, echoing the catastrophic floods of 2022 that submerged one-third of the country.
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) reports that the current floods have caused at least 1,037 deaths and 1,067 injuries nationwide, while Punjab’s Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) says more than 4,700 villages have been ravaged and 2.4 million people evacuated. With thousands of families still stranded or displaced, aid agencies warn of worsening health crises and food shortages in the coming weeks.
One of the organizations leading the response is Transparent Hands, Pakistan’s largest online crowdfunding platform for healthcare. Since 2014, it has supported more than 260,000 deserving patients through free medical and surgical treatments, as well as preventive healthcare and awareness campaigns in underserved communities.
Having assisted over 100,000 Pakistanis during the 2022 floods, Transparent Hands swiftly mobilized again this year, dispatching emergency medical and relief teams to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and other flood-hit regions. The teams are providing first aid, free medicines, medical check-ups, diagnostic tests, and preventive healthcare sessions to help prevent disease outbreaks among displaced families.
“Our top priority is saving lives,” said Raheel Abbas, Director of Operations at Transparent Hands. “The floods have caused immense devastation. With thousands injured and living in unsafe conditions, the risk of infectious diseases is growing. Every contribution counts and helps us reach more people in need.”
In addition to medical services, Transparent Hands is distributing food packs, tents, clothing, mosquito nets, and other essentials to hundreds of affected families in Punjab, Azad Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan. Each food pack, designed to sustain a family, includes wheat flour, rice, lentils, chickpeas, sugar, tea, cooking oil, spices, salt, tea whitener, and soaps to ensure nutritional and hygienic support.
With stagnant water around flood-hit settlements, health experts are warning of rising cases of malaria, diarrhea, skin infections, and respiratory diseases. Transparent Hands’ medical teams are responding through free relief camps in districts such as Buner, Mingora, Dera Ghazi Khan, Sahiwal, Shangla, and Karyal, where both male and female doctors are treating patients and conducting diagnostic tests including malaria, hepatitis B and C, hemoglobin, uric acid, and blood pressure screenings.
The organization’s flood relief program aims to reach over 400,000 survivors this year through more than 1,300 free medical and relief camps across Pakistan.
As floodwaters continue to rise and more families lose their homes, Transparent Hands is appealing for public support to sustain its efforts. “Every donation helps us deliver food, medicine, and shelter to those who have lost everything,” Abbas said. “Together, we can prevent disease outbreaks, feed the hungry, and give flood victims a chance to rebuild their lives.”
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