The power of philanthropy in times of disaster
Photo by European Union, 2022 (photographer: Abdul Majeed)
By Ms Shazia Maqsood Amjad, Executive Director of Pakistan Centre for Philanthropy
Climate change has led to an unprecedented increase in the frequency and severity of natural disasters. While it is wreaking havoc worldwide, the impact on developing and underdeveloped countries is much more devastating.
The Global Climate Risk Index ranks Pakistan as the eighth most at-risk country in the world for extreme weather conditions due to climate change. The risks that Pakistan faces became evident when the country was hard hit by torrential rains and a combination of riverine, urban, and flash flooding in August 2022, resulting in an unprecedented disaster. This brought a new level of devastation as one-third of the country was under water, 33 million people were affected, 1700 people lost their lives and 7.9 million people were displaced.
It was during these times of despair that the power of philanthropy became evident.
Estimates reveal that in-cash donations for flood relief either pledged or collected, were over PKR 300 billion (around USD 1 billion) in Pakistan. These contributions were significant in providing relief, recovery and rehabilitation services to the affected people.
An overwhelming portion of the contribution consisted of in-kind donations from non-profit organisations and the corporate sector. For instance, Nestlé Pakistan distributed ten thousand litres of milk and two hundred thousand litres of water among those affected by the floods. In addition, Habib Bank Limited (HBL) provided over 7000 families with waterproof tents, mosquito nets and ration bags across the province of Balochistan1.
A huge number of individuals and organisations were seen volunteering their time to assist flood affectees. More than 500 employees were sent out by the Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS) to assist flood victims. But before anyone’s help could reach the affected areas, the volunteers of local foundations like Akhuwat and Al Khidmat Foundation reached out to help the flood-stricken communities. These local foundations have efficient networks with a plethora of volunteers always at their disposal and extensive experience in disaster relief and response operations.
An interesting observation while analysing the response was the cooperation between corporations and non-profit organisations. While both stakeholders set up and managed their initiatives, a significant amount of relief and rehabilitation activities and programmes were run jointly, where corporations funded projects and non-profits implemented them. For instance, PepsiCo Pakistan under its nationwide ‘Millions of Meals’ programme delivered emergency food assistance of 5 million meals to flood-affected communities in partnership with organisations such as Rizq, Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF), and Akhuwat.