World Vision says emergency in Pakistan will "get worse before it gets better"

• Access to some of the hardest-hit areas remains one of the biggest challenges, up to half of
affected population still not reached
• Aid worker says people are in "worse shape now than they were two weeks ago"

Sukkur, Pakistan, September 1, 2010 -- More than one month after the flooding in Pakistan began, World
Vision says the emergency in Pakistan will get worse before it gets better. Up to half of the affected population
still hasn't been reached. Unsanitary conditions and a lack of clean water are causing outbreaks of diarrhea and
concerns about cholera. Children, wearing the same muddy clothes for days, are developing skin diseases like
scabies, and many families are unable to begin the grieving process and bury their dead because there is no dry
land on which to bury them.

"What we hear from the people living in the camps is that they are hanging on, surviving on what little food and
water they receive, wearing the clothes they escaped the floods in, and trying to keep their children and
livestock alive," said Mike Bailey, World Vision's regional advocacy manager. "The truth is that, despite of the
amount of aid that has already been provided in some places, many people are in worse shape now than they
were two weeks ago."

The international humanitarian organization says that access to the hardest-hit areas remains one of the biggest
challenges in this disaster. Some towns, including those in Punjab, are still inaccessible, more than four weeks
after the flooding began. The floods have significantly damaged roads and bridges. Communication is difficult
due to damaged telephone lines; mobile phone networks are still not functioning in many of the worst-affected
areas.

"It's still difficult to assess the full extent of the damage, but we know that children and families are still in
desperate need of the most basic things like food, clean water, and shelter," said Bailey. "Even when we focus
on providing the most urgently-needed relief supplies, we've still been able to reach just one-tenth of the people
we're trying to help in the next three months."

Food and water: Many markets have been destroyed and food is generally not available. Some 3.2 million
hectares of agricultural land have been flooded. Food scarcity is expected in coming days and months. The need
is greater than available resources. The main water sources in the area are dug wells, hand pumps and a few
tube wells. However, wells have become contaminated and the water is no longer safe to drink. People can live
on small amounts of food, but they can’t survive without potable water.

Shelter: Many displaced families are without shelter. Others have found temporary shelter with friends and
relatives, but overcrowding is making water, food and sanitation even scarcer. Many schools (private and
public) are now serving as temporary shelters.

Health and sanitation: Some clinics in the area have been washed away, and medical staff and medicine are
scarce. Children and families are suffering from diarrhea, vomiting, malaria and acute respiratory infections.
There is risk of cholera outbreaks and spread of other waterborne diseases. Even before the flooding, families
generally did not have proper toilets in their homes. Since the flooding, human waste has been mixed with
drinking water. In addition, water is sitting stagnant in many places, increasing the risk of disease.

Infrastructure: The road networks in the area need to be rebuilt. Many isolated communities are depending on
items ferried in by helicopter to survive. Power is out in some areas.

Livelihoods: Most people are farmers, earning a living from crops and livestock. Now, 3.2 million hectares of
crops have been damaged. Irrigation systems are also damaged or need vast clean-up work.

World Vision has provided food, emergency items and health care to more than 30,000 people in Khyber
Pakhtoonkhwa Province (KPK) since the start of the floods. In addition, the aid agency plans to start a nearly
$2.2 million project in Punjab through funding from the United States' Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance,
providing emergency relief, healthcare, and clean water to 104,000 people in the Murzaffargah and Rajanpur
Districts.

To donate to World Vision's relief efforts in Pakistan, please visit www.worldvision.org or call 1-888-56-
CHILD (1-888-562-4453).

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For more information, please contact Laura Blank (lblank@worldvision.org, +1.646.245.2496) or Casey
Calamusa (ccalamus@worldvision.org, +1.206.310.5476).

World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families and their communities worldwide
to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. World Vision serves all people, regardless of religion,
race, ethnicity or gender.