Pakistan faced a major disaster in the form of varying intensity of floods across the country and struggled to mitigate its impact. Immediate mitigation efforts were followed by cross-sectoral and cross-regional rehabilitation initiatives. The required magnitude of relief and rehabilitation efforts warranted concerted efforts by all segments of society, which were brought together by the academia. The Superior University rose to the challenge of aligning local, provincial, and national efforts to mitigate and manage this unprecedented national disaster.
APSUP undertook the estimation of disaster management needs in an institutionalized manner and gathered real-time information about the need for relief measures. Shelter, food, clothing, and medical aid were provided in a timely and efficient manner. Faculty and students worked hand in hand to ameliorate the situation while reaching out to communities and the affluent.
Partner universities established camps for the collection of consumables and cash donations, overseen by committees of their respective officials and partner organizations. Students donated their pocket money, and staff donated one day’s salary to the Mission Esaar Fund. Mission Esaar collaborated with electronic media channels like Neo TV, 92 News, and Lahore Rang to undertake mass awareness campaigns, further streamlining and supporting nationwide relief efforts.
Mission Essar’s response teams and thousands of volunteers on the ground have been providing urgent lifesaving humanitarian assistance by relief trucks in South Punjab and KPK. This has been further bolstered by delivering tons of lifesaving cooked food, clean water, food packs, medical aid, tents & tarpaulin shelters, and non-food items to people inaccessible by land. Mission Essar’s medical team, exhibiting teamwork with medical volunteers and doctors, is making persistent efforts to help save flood-affected populations from waterborne and infectious diseases. Furthermore, clean water and dignity kits are being delivered to flood victims, particularly to vulnerable groups, persons with disabilities, women, and girls, to protect them from standing water and infectious diseases.