I needed to do more than just tweet, says Mehwish Hayat on working to help flood victims through Penny Appeal
The devastation caused by the floods is widespread and immense and all Pakistanis are doing their part to aid flood victims, including Mehwish Hayat. The actor, who is also the global ambassador for Penny Appeal, appeared on Sky News and BBC and said she felt like she needed to do something about this phenomena more than tweeting about it.
On Friday, Hayat took to Instagram and shared clips from both of her interviews. In her interview for Sky News, the London Nahi Jaunga actor said, “One third of the country has drowned under water, 50 million people are displaced, 1,500 deaths that we know of but there are so many areas that people and help agencies are not being able to access to get to the people who really need help right now.”
Citing a report, the actor added that more than 70,000 pregnant women are expected to deliver next month and currently, those women don’t have shelter, food or clean drinking water. Hayat said that they have “lost everything” and that these people will now have to rebuild and restart their lives.
“I really wanted to do something about it and I felt that I needed to do more than just tweet and that’s why I’m working the charity organisation Penny Appeal to get help wherever needed. Penny Appeal is on ground in 13 most affected areas and according to a recent report out of 160 districts 72 have been declared as disaster zones by the government. You can imagine the scale of the damage, the disaster and the fact that so much help is needed on every front.”
She also announced that she will visit the flood affected areas herself and will speak to the people affected by the flood, trying to find out about how they need to be assisted. “In this time we really need the world and all the viewers to rise to the challenge and help people in need because I believe that if you save one life, you save the world and with your little help, whatever little you can spare, that can help save thousands of lives. Right now, they don’t even have basic medical aid, the women who will be delivering will be needing medical care, help and assistance,” she requested.
With her request she also informed viewers about waterborne illnesses that are being spread due to the still water as well as the upcoming winter season that is already a challenge for people. Those people now have to deal with it while being displaced and having nowhere to seek shelter.
“For these areas, winter is actually one of the toughest months of the year and imagine they don’t even have shelter, the camps don’t have the tents for them to sleep at night or have any sort of normality to their life and I think a lot is needed to be done. It’s $10 billion worth of damage as per the government estimates, so it will take time to get back to any normality, it’s going to take years,” she said.
The Ms. Marvel actor shared similar points on BBC where she also highlighted that medical aid, sustainable food that lasts longer, water and shelter is needed immediately as the livelihood is gone and the people are literally are starting from scratch.
Speaking on behalf of the millions affected, Hayat urged people to donate whatever they can as it could help thousands of people.
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