BOLTON’S Muslim community has launched an appeal to help victims of the floods which have devastated parts of Pakistan. Community leaders from the Bolton Council of Mosques are asking people to donate generously so they can send aid to the disasterstricken country.

BCOM intends to collect as much money as possible before working with charities to identify aid projects they can fund.  

Inayat Omarji, one of the BCOM managers, said the organisation intends to fund medical relief as well as long term rebuilding and recovery projects.  He said: “It’s very bad, and it’s not going to get any easier.

The rain might stop, but then you’ve got the aftermath of cholera, diarrhoea and rebuilding communities. “We’ve asked all the mosques to request their members to donate for the floods. “Medical need is the current situation because of cholera, but if it’s about losing houses and people are on the streets then we’d look at building shelters or houses for the long term. If it’s about business we’ll look at getting people back working, fishing and producing crops.”

Ramadan is due to start next Wednesday or Thursday, which is likely to lead to an increase in the amount of charitable donations. Muslims are expected to give 2.5 per cent of their income to charity every year if they can afford it.

Mr Omarji added that there are few people in Bolton who have friends and family in the worst affected areas of the country, which include Swat Valley, Khyber-Pakhtoonkhwa, Nowshera, Buner, Charssadda and Shangla.

Bolton boxing champion Amir Khan, whose family is from Pakistan, is backing Save the Children’s fundraising appeal. He said:

“Their teams are providing critical emergency health care. I hope you will join me in supporting this emergency appeal to help save children’s lives in this devastating situation.”

The floods, the worst in Pakistan’s history, have already claimed the lives of 1,500 people and forced more than two million people to flee their homes. At least 400,000 of those affected are children.

Bolton News: Thursday 5th August 2010