Rajan Pur, Punjab: An aerial view of flooded areas. | Photo by Mk Chaudhry/EPA (via The Guardian: Pakistan Floods: The Displaced and the Saved)

Triggered by monsoon rains in late July, Pakistan has been experiencing its worst flooding since 1929. Rivers burst their banks and entire communities have been destroyed. More than 20 million people have been affected by the floods, which is more than the number of people affected by the 2005 South Asia tsunami, the 2005 South Asia earthquake and the 2010 Haiti earthquake combined. Pakistan's infrastructure is severely crippled, and millions of displaced people are at risk of falling ill from water borne disease, food shortages, and lack of access to clean water and medical care. The United Nations' Ban Ki-moon counts it as the worst natural disaster he's witnessed, and presses for increased international attention. Pakistan's Prime Minister, Yousaf Raza Gilani, has even compared the challenges the country now faces to those during the 1947 partition of the subcontinent in which around half a million people were killed in mass violence. So how can we as a digitally connected global society lend a hand?
Crowdsourcing, using a group of amateurs or volunteers to solve a problem, has been repeatedly mentioned as a new tool to address development needs. It has been cited often in the news and blogs as capable of mobilizing the public for Pakistan's flood victims. It is accessible, and allows anyone with an internet connection or a cell phone to get connected and be of service through multiple channels. (We've covered crowdsourcing before on Worldchanging, see for example these post on: on deliberative and collaborative democracy, governance, and Jeff Howe, who coined the term.)
Organizations like Crisis Commons are mobilizing volunteers from the Silicon Valley to London for Pakistan, and are also providing additional crowdsourcing resources to facilitate volunteer participation.
Aid organizations are taking notice of the effectiveness of crowdsourcing, and both private and non-profit partnerships are taking hold: CrowdFlower, a for-profit company, generously donated their software to PakReport, which is primarily a map of real-time data collected from aid agencies, the media, and direct reports by email and text messaging. The map shows what resources are needed in flood affected regions and volunteers all over the world can process the requests:

Afghanistan and Pakistan

Afghanistan and Pakistan, USAID's two largest assistance programs, reflect the United States' commitment to the region's long term stability and human progress. USAID's Office of Afghanistan and Pakistan Affairs brings together vast technical support, analysis and resources to enhance reconstruction and development.
USAID plays a critical role in President Barack Obama's national security strategy to disrupt, dismantle and defeat al Qaeda and to prevent its capacity to threaten the United States. USAID programs in agriculture, democracy and governance, economic growth, education, energy, health, and infrastructure provide Afghans and Pakistanis with the tools, technical support, capacity building and institutions for stability, sustainable development and self-sufficiency.
A focus on "Afghan First"
In Afghanistan, USAID works in a "U.S. Government-as-a-whole" approach, cooperating with other government agencies along with our military counterparts to support Afghans, their government and their civic structures. This effort follows 25 years of war that has devastated the economy, institutions and people. It focuses on an "Afghan First" initiative which empowers Afghans and its institutions to take the lead in development and to transition to a better, self-sufficient national livelihood.
Guided by the Afghanistan/Pakistan Annual Review of December, USAID's FY 2012 Budget Requests support the two directions: 1) Attaining stabilization goals; and 2) Establishing the basic key conditions to make investments sustainable.
Toward the first priority, in areas in which security has not yet transitioned to Afghans, the focus will be to establish the conditions that will support stability through programs to generate employment, resolve disputes, involve the population in their local governance, and provide basic services in key population centers.
In locations where the security lead has transitioned to Afghans, the focus will be on foundational investments that can maintain stability, which at the same time drive growth and sustain legitimate governance.
Highlights of these investments include the energy sector, education and health, and skills development of the public. All these should create opportunities for institutions in Afghanistan to generate revenues, drive growth, and sustain development efforts.
Building Pakistan's capacity to provide its citizens with services
With the support of the Enhanced Partnership with Pakistan Act of 2009 (also referred to sometimes as the "Kerry-Lugar-Berman Bill", for the co-sponsors, Senator John Kerry (D-Massachusetts), Senator Richard Lugar (R-Indiana) and Representative Howard Berman (D-California)), USAID aims to strengthen the Government of Pakistan's capacity to effectively provide services to its citizens and to address the country's urgent development needs, and to deepen a strategic partnership with the Pakistani people and their government. By supporting Pakistanis to create a stable and prosperous country, U.S. assistance will have a greater and more sustainable impact over the long-term.
The Enhanced Partnership with Pakistan Act is an authorization bill that sets the policy framework and parameters for U.S. Government assistance to Pakistan, as well as for the annual appropriations legislation through which USAID receives its funding. Senators Kerry and Lugar and Representative Berman support has been critical to development assistance's role in offering opportunity for Pakistan's people and leaders. The legislation focuses on development areas where USAID excels, and we're looking forward to enhancing our partnerships with the government and our implementing partners.
USAID, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of State, focuses assistance to Pakistan in four priority sectors: energy, stabilization, economic growth, and social sector within the current strategic and policy framework. Focusing our assistance in these four key areas will increase a national high visibility impact and effectiveness, as well as accelerate implementation.
With this funding, in Fiscal Year 2012, USAID aims to reduce the supply/demand gap of the energy sector in Pakistan to foster macroeconomic stability and economic growth; increase economic opportunities and employment through a more competitive private sector with a focus on agriculture; support stabilization activities in areas susceptible to violent activity by extremists; and facilitate greater access and quality of education and health care.

Water to Flood-Affected Citizens of Pakistan

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has provided 13 mobile water treatment units to support the Government of Pakistan's flood relief effort. These water treatment units are stationed on some of the most flood-affected districts and have produced over 7.5 million liters of clean water.
In addition, USAID has provided ten 10,000-liter water bladder kits to help facilitate the efficient distribution of clean water by minimizing waiting time at and distance traveled for water collection points. Water bladders allow for improved security for vulnerable individuals by providing accessible water distribution centers. USAID has also provided nearly 113,000 5-liter water containers for families to collect, transport and maintain household water.
These relief supplies provided by USAID supplement its emergency health, economic recovery, shelter, and water, sanitation and hygiene programs in flood-affected areas of Pakistan.

The United States has provided more than $200 million in emergency humanitarian assistance to the people of Pakistan to date. The U.S. has provided other civilian and military in-kind assistance in the form of halal meals, pre-fabricated steel bridges and other infrastructure support, as well as air support to and within Pakistan to transport goods and rescue people.

Pakistan Floods Fact

USAID's Disaster Assistance Response Team (USAID/DART) continues to monitor increased cases of dengue fever, a mosquito-borne illness. According to the U.N. World Health Organization (WHO), between October 10 and 24, the number of confirmed dengue cases increased twofold to 2,060 cases, including more than 1,500 cases in Sindh Province. Dengue is endemic to Pakistan and the number of cases typically increases every other year following monsoon season. Ongoing USAID/OFDA programs in flood-affected areas are working to reduce mosquito breeding grounds by removing standing water in and around homes.

Pakistani flood-affected people recieve food supplies at a world Food Programme distribution point in Mohib Banda village in the outskirts of Nowshera on August 6, 2010. The worst floods in Pakistan's living memory have affected 12 million people in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces, the national disaster management agency said on Friday. AFP PHOTO/BEHROUZ MEHRI

The Government of Pakistan (GoP) National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) continues to conduct registration and compensation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPk), Punjab, Sindh, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir provinces. As of October 27, NADRA had distributed debit cards to more than 900,000 families at 83 sites. NADRA plans to provide approximately $1,150 to each head of household in three separate disbursements. In total, approximately 1.5 million flood-affected families?up to 12 million people?will benefit from the program.
This week, USAID committed an additional $36 million for humanitarian programs in flood-affected areas, including nearly $25 million in new assistance from USAID/OFDA and $11 million from USAID/Pakistan. Recent contributions bring total U.S. Government assistance to date to more than $463 million. The U.S. has also provided other civilian and military in-kind assistance, valued at approximately $81.2 million1, in the form of halal meals, pre-fabricated steel bridges, and air support to and within Pakistan to transport goods and rescue individuals stranded by floodwaters.
U.S. Provides Clean Water to Flood-Affected Citizens of Pakistan
September 3, 2010
WASHINGTON D.C. - The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has provided 13 mobile water treatment units to support the Government of Pakistan's flood relief effort. These water treatment units are stationed on some of the most flood-affected districts and have produced over 7.5 million liters of clean water.
In addition, USAID has provided ten 10,000-liter water bladder kits to help facilitate the efficient distribution of clean water by minimizing waiting time at and distance traveled for water collection points. Water bladders allow for improved security for vulnerable individuals by providing accessible water distribution centers. USAID has also provided nearly 113,000 5-liter water containers for families to collect, transport and maintain household water.
These relief supplies provided by USAID supplement its emergency health, economic recovery, shelter, and water, sanitation and hygiene programs in flood-affected areas of Pakistan.
The United States has provided more than $200 million in emergency humanitarian assistance to the people of Pakistan to date. The U.S. has provided other civilian and military in-kind assistance in the form of halal meals, pre-fabricated steel bridges and other infrastructure support, as well as air support to and within Pakistan to transport goods and rescue people.

Finding Hope Flood Devastation

At the USAID distribution site at a flood relief camp in Sindh province, a young woman queuing up with her teenaged son to receive her food donation somehow stood out in the crowd and caught my attention.
It could have been the slippers on her feet, while most others were barefoot, or perhaps the dignified way she waited in line. I approached her, and she told me her name was Murada and that Larkana, her village, had been totally wiped out by the flood. As she chattered about all the land she used to own and crops she had cultivated, much like we were two neighbors having afternoon tea, an expected rush of emotions came over me.
"I miss my rifle the most, you know," she said matter-of-factly, my eyes widening as she explained that she was a widow, and her late husband had taught her to use the firearm.

"A Russian single barrel," she added proudly, "to protect myself of course." I shook my head as I contemplated that though Murda had lost her home, fifteen acres of land including ten under cultivation, and six bovines, she preferred to discuss her missing rifle.
Amazing indeed, that this woman, until recently comparatively wealthy, was now collecting a food sack marked "USAID," and recounting a heartbreaking story in such a sprightly manner. It was only when I asked "so what about the future?" did the façade crumble, and a look of abject grief came over her face. My heart sank as I realized that despite her sunny demeanor, she was just one more victim of this terrible tragedy.
From rugged Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to the fields of Punjab, down to the coastal plains of Sindh, I witnessed the same horror and devastation of total loss in three weeks of monitoring visits. Beyond their possessions, some have literally lost their land - washed away by the mighty Indus River after it broached its embankments for hundreds of miles.
Over and over I heard tales of hopelessness - no agency, representative, not even a landlord who was willing to take responsibility for their welfare and survival. In such a state, they were more than eager to voice their frustration to a representative of a donor agency in the hope of finding someone who might actually help them.
Through my work with USAID, I could offer some degree of help in the form of the thousands of donated relief kits that included two weeks worth of food, cooking utensils, buckets for collecting water and soap to wash. They were eager to narrate their harrowing experience to someone working for the American government, which many called their savior. As I opened each parcel to verify its contents before distributing the kits, I could see the appreciation in their eyes, gratitude that someone was concerned enough to ensure that they receive each and every item that was sent for them - and just lend them a sympathetic ear.
Aside from different regional languages and attire, my experience in three provinces was pretty much the same everywhere I went. Much as I tried not to cry, recurring scenes of poverty and helplessness invariably brought tears to my eyes. Yet at the same time, I couldn't help feeling another emotion welling up inside: hope. Women like Murada, who spoke bravely about her loss and even tried to stay well-dressed amid the squalor, seemed to me to represent the glimmer, however small, of a better future.
I was able to play a small part by promising those with whom I spoke that the American people would not abandon them in their hour of need. I was grateful the people of America provided a platform to help make a difference in the lives of so many in need. The difference hope brings.