LONDON: Pakistani film star Mehwish Hayat will this week launch a worldwide appeal for help in the wake of the catastrophic floods affecting her home country, a British-based charity has announced.
Since late July, extreme monsoon downpours have wreaked havoc across Pakistan, displacing over 33 million people. Official figures suggest more than 1,500 people have already lost their lives and the number is increasing daily.
Pakistan’s planning minister has estimated that at least $10 billion worth of damage has been caused and that serious food shortages will plague the nation for the foreseeable future.
As global ambassador for international humanitarian relief agency Penny Appeal, “Ms Marvel” star Hayat has previously used her profile to raise life-saving funds for other emergencies, including the Ukraine crisis earlier this year. On that occasion she mobilized support from the international Muslim community for Ukrainian refugees, saying that “suffering has no nationality, race or creed.”
Now, with Pakistan facing the worst flooding it has ever seen, the Karachi-born celebrity hopes her appeal will help bring relief and safety to the country’s 220 million residents.
Appearing on the ground in Noshera Feroz, one of the worst-affected regions, Hayat will speak of Penny Appeal’s work in responding to the disaster. Since the onset of the floods, the organization has been working in 13 affected districts and has so far provided emergency cooked food to more than 30,000 people, supplied 164,000 liters of drinking water, and delivered hygiene supplies and non-perishable food to hundreds of families.
In the aftermath of the floods that hit Pakistan two years ago, Penny Appeal constructed permanent shelters for fishing communities, enabling families to rebuild their lives. With Mehwish’s help, the organization is hoping to increase the scope of the current response and provide shelter for those recovering from the current disaster.
Penny Appeal, which was founded in 2009 by British-Pakistani entrepreneur and philanthropist Adeem Younis, has been Hayat’s chosen charity since 2019. It has been working in Pakistan for 13 years, providing everything from schools to solar-powered community water wells.
“There are some people who are just born to make a difference in the world. Mehwish Hayat is one of those people,” Younis said.
“She has been a driving force for change throughout her career and she shows no signs of slowing down. We’re proud to support her work and we know that she will continue to do amazing things in the years to come.”
He added: “The situation unfolding in Pakistan is one of the worst disasters the country has seen. The flooding has caused immense damage and loss of life and it is clear that Pakistan faces a long road to recovery.
“This situation is unfolding rapidly and more help is needed desperately. Please consider donating to help those affected by this devastating disaster. If we work together, we can make a difference and help Pakistan to rebuild.”