'Its about humanity': Pakistani Calgarians raising funds for flood relief

Members of Calgary’s Pakistani community are struggling to help their relatives still in that country amid devastating flooding that has left nearly half a million people without homes.

Over 1,130 people are confirmed to have died in the floods, and many millions more are without any shelter.

Pakistan’s Climate Minister Sherry Rehman says at least 33 million people have been affected by the flooding and one-third of the country is under water.

"Please tell me how that is not catastrophic," said Rehman. "That is the size of a small country. Many are still in places where we can't reach them."

Pakistan has seen temperatures soar to 53 C, causing mountain glaciers to melt and rivers to swell, then there were monsoon rains.

Rehman says some cities have received over a metre of rain.

"What we saw is really the result of global warming. Pakistan is less than one per cent in the global emissions pie if you like, we hardly contribute any emissions to the broader emission blanket that makes for the greenhouse gases that turned our climates into a living hell."

"This is a huge humanitarian disaster, and I would call it quite apocalyptic."

Calgarian Rana Satwat has family including his parents and siblings with children in the flood zones.

He says he tries to talk to them daily, but it is hard given their living situation.

"They are sleeping without their shelters, they are sitting on any roads, any area. They're just looking for their rest in a simple place whether there is no water,” Satwat said. "Their kids are crying without food, there is no shelter."

"They don't have water, they don't have to anything to cook. Everything is gone. Their future is gone. Their dream is gone."

Calgary’s Pakistan Canada Association (PCA Calgary) is trying to help.

The group has partnered with the Muslim Doctors Association, and are together raising funds to help flood victims.

PCA Calgary president Imtiaz Kadhar says the money will be channeled through the Islamic Relief Fund.

"In one day we collected like $50,000 and still people are coming in and they're donating us more money."

Kadhar says he realizes $50,000 is a small drop in an ocean of need for Pakistan flood victims, but hopes people in Calgary and southern Alberta will join in the relief effort.

“It's not about Pakistan, it's about humanity," said Kadhar.

"This is my humble request to all communities come together. Join us for this noble call, to help the community to take them out from this situation."

"We all need to get together regardless of color, race or ethnicity. It's about humanity. It's not about a special group of people."