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“I have been shocked by the sheer scale of the devastation in Pakistan as a result of the historic flooding. And we fear that, with the climate crisis, tragedies like this one will become far more common.” — Jason MacLean, NUPGE Secretary-Treasurer
Ottawa (20 Sept. 2022) — The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE), on behalf of its 400,000 members, is contributing funds to the Pakistan flood response.
NUPGE officers presented the $20,000 donation from NUPGE's John Fryer Fund to the Canadian Red Cross in Toronto today.
Catastrophic flooding
Pakistan has been hit by devastating flooding due to record rainfall beginning in June. Millions of people have been displaced. People have lost their homes and livelihoods, and the death toll continues to rise due to, not only the immediate impacts of the floods, but also water-borne illnesses.
The crisis has widely been considered a sign of things to come, as the historic monsoon rains this summer have been attributed to climate change.
NUPGE offers support
“I have been shocked by the sheer scale of the devastation in Pakistan as a result of the historic flooding,” wrote Jason MacLean, NUPGE Secretary-Treasurer, in a letter to the Canadian Red Cross. “It has been heart-rending to hear reports of more than 1,000 deaths, illness, and millions of people displaced and suffering.”
“And we fear that, with the climate crisis, tragedies like this one will become more common,” MacLean wrote.
NUPGE's donation is to the Canadian Red Cross, which is working with its local counterpart, the Pakistan Red Crescent Society. NUPGE hopes that the donation helps with the relief supplies and immediate humanitarian response, as well as the long-term recovery.