The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) emergency response to the flood in Pakistan is targeting 100,000 families through legal assistance, and more.

2.5 million people have been impacted by heavy rains drenching Balochistan and Sindh. According to OCHA, 377,000 of them have been displaced.

"There's a massive need for assistance for the displaced. NRC is doing it's best to meet the needs, in close collaboration with the government and other organizations", NRC Secretary General Mr Tomas C. Archer says.

NRC has been active in Pakistan since 2001 and immediately took action upon the flooding, in collaboration with Pakistani authorities, UN and NGOs. The programs are funded by The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

NRC's initial response, after having performed several assessment missions in the field, is providing camp management training to the Government and others, and offering information, counselling and legal assistance (ICLA) to the displaced.

The ICLA programme is targeting 100,000 families and 70,000 individuals, focused on the following activities:

- Facilitate the provision of identity and property documents.

- Promote access to compensation schemes both through the provision of information and through the facilitation of applications, bank accounts, supporting documents and other procedures.

- Offer legal support on issues of succession and guardianship to protect the rights of vulnerable individuals.

Cyclone Yemyim made landfall in Pakistan on June 26th, 2007. This storm and associated rains have caused widespread flooding across Balochistan and Sindh provinces. The destruction of housing has created an acute need for emergency shelter. Several thousand tents have been distributed, but there are still considerable gaps. The government has announced that there will be as many as 163 displaced person camps created: 63 in Sindh Province and 100 in Kech District of Balochistan.

NRC has been active in Pakistan since 2001, providing protection and humanitarian assistance to refugees and internally displaced persons. Our ongoing programs are mainly directed at Afghan refugees and Pakistanis displaced due to the October 2005 earth quake. While the refugee related projects are based in North West Frontier Province (NWFP), the Earthquake projects are based in both NWFP and AJK (Kashmir).

NRC Media Contact Person: Information officer, Astrid Sehl E-mail: astrid.sehl@nrc.no