Contact:

Joshua Berkman
212.792.2893
jberkman@ajws.org

American Jewish World Service Collecting

Donations for Flood Relief in Pakistan

New York, NY; August 19, 2010— In response to the recent flooding in
Pakistan, where the U.N. is reporting that 1,200 people have died and 14
million are in dire need of urgent assistance, American Jewish World
Service (AJWS) has opened an emergency flood relief fund to receive
donations. The money AJWS collects will support the relief work of its
existing grantee partners in Pakistan.

The flooding is the worst Pakistan has seen since 1929 and is
concentrated in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province (formerly known as
North West Frontier Province), the same region that was devastated by a
massive earthquake in 2005. Because roads, bridges and communication
lines have suffered severe damage, the government is having difficulty
meeting the population’s needs.

AJWS’s grantee partners have assessed needs in the affected areas and
are already mobilizing to provide support for victims of the flooding. They
are distributing food packets and essential medicines to those who are
stranded, erecting temporary shelters, facilitating access to clean water in
relief camps and working with government and local authorities to expedite
larger-scale efforts.

“As in any disaster, the poor are disproportionally affected,” said Ruth
Messinger, AJWS’s president. “With government unable to respond to
many of their needs, it is crucial that organizations work through
established networks to get resources into the right hands so the impact
can be maximized. This has always been our approach to disaster
response and remains so in Pakistan.”

AJWS has been providing emergency support in Pakistan since the 2005
earthquake and currently has five grantee partners in the country.
Funds raised will enable AJWS’s grantee partners to distribute Aid-Bags to
affected families in the worst hit areas. These Aid-Bags contain essentials:
food, water, pots, pans, and other necessities that will sustain these
families for a week to 10 days. AJWS’s grantee partners will also be
distributing clothes and scarves to women who lost their belongings in the
floods and who, as a result, have been forced to remain indoors to avoid
harassment and violence.

The totality of the flood’s devastation remains unknown, but Pakistan is

sure to experience profound long-term consequences. According to an
initial assessment, U.N. officials report that 3.2 million hectares of standing
crops have been damaged or lost in the provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
and Punjab alone. At least 200,000 head of livestock have been lost and
many more will die without proper feed and veterinary support.

AJWS will be working with its partners over the coming months to assess
and respond to the long-term needs of affected communities. With
additional funding, AJWS will expand its initial response effort to support
relief and rehabilitation, with the aim of assisting local communities in the
reconstruction of their physical surroundings and creating economic
opportunities.

To ensure the safety and wellbeing of its partners, AJWS does not list its
Pakistan grantees on its website or publicize them by name. Donations
can be made at www.ajws.org/pakistanemergency or by check made out
to American Jewish World Service. All checks should include “Pakistan
Flood Relief” in the memo line and should be sent to American Jewish
World Service, 45 West 36th Street, 11th floor, New York, NY 10018-7904.

About American Jewish World Service

American Jewish World Service (AJWS) is an international development

organization motivated by Judaism's imperative to pursue justice. AJWS is
dedicated to alleviating poverty, hunger and disease among the people of
the developing world regardless of race, religion or nationality. Through
grants to grassroots organizations, volunteer service, advocacy and
education, AJWS fosters civil society, sustainable development and human
rights for all people, while promoting the values and responsibilities of
global citizenship within the Jewish community.