Manchester extends sympathy to Pakistan

The Lord Mayor of Manchester has expressed his sorrow for the people of Pakistan, following the floods that have devastated the country.

The Lord Mayor, Councillor Mark Hackett has extended his sympathy in particular to those in Manchester's Pakistani community whose family and friends have been affected.

He said: "I know I speak on behalf of the city when I say that I have been shocked and saddened by the destruction caused by the floods in Pakistan and my deepest sympathies go out to all those affected. We have a very strong Pakistani community here in Manchester, which only makes the devastation even more acutely felt. It is important that as a city we pull together and remember all those families who are currently facing the loss of their loved ones, their homes and their livelihoods."

Approximately 14 million people have reportedly been affected by the floods and this is set to increase as further rain falls and rivers continue to burst their banks. More than 1, 600 people have been killed with thousands more injured and homeless. Now survivors face further risk to their lives with contaminated surface and drinking water threatening an outbreak of cholera and other deadly diseases.

The Lord Mayor added: "To have clean water to drink is a basic human right and it's unthinkable to us that anyone could be risking their lives and that of their families by simply trying to quench their thirst."

People can help the aid process in Pakistan by contacting the Disaster Emergency Committee, which coordinates the response to major disasters overseas and enables the British public to donate funds to British aid agencies working in the areas where they are needed.

To donate to the Pakistan Floods Appeal visit http://www.dec.org.uk/ or call 0370 60 60 900