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Highland woman leading flood relief efforts in Pakistan as death toll surpasses 1,200

Annabell Gerry, at Altit Fort in the Hunza valley in Gilgit-Baltistan, is leading refief efforts in Pakistan following the floods.
Annabell Gerry, at Altit Fort in the Hunza valley in Gilgit-Baltistan, is leading refief efforts in Pakistan following the floods.

A humanitarian from the Black Isle is leading relief efforts in Pakistan as more than 1,200 have died following the devastating floods.

A third of the South Asian country has been submerged by water leaving millions displaced and in desperate need of humanitarian aid.

More than 33 million people have been impacted by the natural disaster.

The monsoon is comparable to the devastating floods of 2010 – the deadliest in Pakistan’s history – which left more than 2,000 people dead.

The UK Government has so far offered £16.5million of life-saving humanitarian support to help provide shelter and essential supplies to people across Pakistan.

‘It is utterly heartbreaking’

Dingwall-born Annabel Gerry is the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office’s development director for monsoon-hit Pakistan.

The 54-year-old from Munlochy is leading the UK’s response from the British Embassy in the country’s capital of Islamabad. She said time is of the essence to save lives.

A third of the South Asian country of Pakistan has been submerged by water leaving millions displaced and in desperate need of assistance.

She said: “The UN’s General Secretary Antonio Guterres wasn’t wrong when he referred to this catastrophe as a ‘monsoon on steroids’ – it is utterly heartbreaking.

“The UK is proud to stand with Pakistan as a major humanitarian donor and we are working round the clock to get life-saving aid to the most vulnerable.

“Tens of millions of people are affected with many left homeless and we face a race against time to save lives because of the high risk of water-borne diseases spreading amongst displaced communities.”

Humanitarian aid is continuing to pour in from across the globe as thousands face food shortages and displacement.

The show of support comes as forecasters predicted further rainfall in the coming days, leaving aid workers fearing for the impact this will have on a country that is already on its knees.

Experts estimate the floods have caused at least £8.5billion in damage.

More than 1,200 people have died as the monsoon hit the country.

Humanitarian at heart

The married mum-of-three was first inspired to help the world’s poorest on trips to see her gran in Kenya.

She explained how from as young as eight, she had the drive to help people less fortunate than herself.

She said: “My dad was born and brought up in Kenya and I remember visiting my granny there when I was a little girl and noticing the poverty.

“I remember going to a local market and seeing other girls my own age helping their mums to sell vegetables and noticing they had no shoes on, did not have nice clothes, and never went to school. They’d maybe walked miles to be there, whereas we’d drive home in gran’s car.

Annabel Gerry from Munlochy with Pakistan Government ministers and officials.

“Even as an eight-year-old, I just felt this was not right, and I wanted to do something about it.”

As soon as Mrs Gerry left school, she took a gap year out to do voluntary humanitarian work in war-torn Sudan and Eritrea.

The 54-year-old has now swapped the Highlands of Scotland for South Asia.

Pakistan in crisis mode

Speaking from the trenches, she says the situation is harrowing as many people turn to living on the side of the road as they weather the storm.

She added: “Transport links are cut off too many places, with bridges washed away, and an area the size of the UK is under water.

“I’ve heard heartbreaking tales from many of our local partners about the challenges people face. Many people are living along the roadsides in temporary shelters with nowhere even to go to the toilet.

“In at least one case, our partner organisation has had their office building in large part washed away making it very difficult for them to provide support to people in need in the community.”

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