Recently during our weekend services we’ve been talking about caring for the earth and the animal kingdom. As a specific and related prayer need, we want to bring attention to Pakistan, a country that is suffering intensely right now because of the changing climate on our planet.
In May, a severe heat wave hit Pakistan and India, during which temperatures hit 124 degrees Fahrenheit.
After the heat wave came the annual monsoon season, but this year Pakistan got ten times the normal amount of rain over eight weeks of torrential downpours. The rain, combined with glacial melt in the mountains, has put a third of the country underwater, its worst flooding on record.
The people of Pakistan are now enduring extreme suffering:
- Nearly 1,500 people have died, including over 500 children.
- 1.2 million homes have been destroyed and millions of people have been displaced. Around 600,000 people are living in camps.
- The country is on the brink of famine, since 45% of the agricultural land has been destroyed, and nearly 1 million farm animals have died.
- People are extremely vulnerable to waterborne diseases, since drinking water systems have been damaged and contaminated.
- The mosquito population has exploded, and officials are concerned there will be an outbreak of dengue fever.
Researchers and UN officials agree that climate change has been a major contributing factor to the crisis, yet Pakistan contributes less than 1% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Please join us in praying for Pakistan! The needs are great, but here are a few suggestions:
- Pray that international aid campaigns are successful
- Pray for the safety of those without homes or shelter
- Pray for medical care, and against the spread of disease
- Pray that people in need can access food and clean drinking water
There are also many funds set up to help Pakistan. But if you are looking for groups doing ongoing environmental care, A Rocha International is an incredible organization doing Kingdom work through Creation Care.
