Amir Khan visits Oxfam’s work in flood-affected Pakistan

World champion boxer Amir Khan is in Pakistan where he met families made homeless by the devastating floods and took part in an Oxfam distribution of aid.

In the badly-hit region of Charsadda in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where millions of lives have been devastated by the unprecedented floods, Amir Khan met with children and families who are now forced to live in tented camps or public buildings.

Amir Khan said: “You don’t realise the reality of this disaster until you’re here talking to people who have been left with nothing. It’s really upsetting to see the extent of the devastation – but the people I’m meeting are extremely tough and are finding ways to survive against the odds. They need our help as they start rebuilding their lives.”

At a college which is now housing hundreds of families, Amir Khan discovered the importance of clean water for people who risk disease from contaminated water or unsanitary living conditions.

Amir Khan said: “When you’re living in a tent or a school, the importance of clean drinking water cannot be underestimated. Oxfam is providing people affected with clean water, which is crucial if they are to avoid disease.

“I saw myself that money is reaching people who really need it but they will need help for some time to come. I plan to dedicate my next fight to the victims of the Pakistan flood.”

More than 18 million people have now been affected by the floods, more than the Indian Ocean tsunami, the Kashmir earthquake and the Haiti earthquake combined. 5 million have been left homeless after their homes were washed away by the waters. And while the waters have largely receded in the north of the country, towns and villages across the south are still being threatened by fresh flooding.

This is Amir Khan’s second visit to Pakistan with Oxfam – the boxer, whose family is from Pakistan, travelled there in 2006 following the South Asia earthquake.

Oxfam and partners are mounting a response in three provinces Pakistan – Khyber Pakhtoonkkhwa (formerly NWFP), Sindh and Punjab. Oxfam is now reaching 600,000 people in Pakistan and has launched a rapid relief effort in districts throughout KPK, Punjab and Sindh, providing people with clean water and food, sanitation kits and hygiene supplies. We plan to scale up our response to reach 1.1 million people and will soon be starting activities to assist people recover their livelihoods.

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