Date: March – June 2009

A major humanitarian crisis unfolded in the Swat Valley in March 2009 following the violation of a peace agreement by the Pakistani Taliban. The conflict displaced some two million residents of the Swat Valley, which also suffered severe infrastructural damages. The situation escalated in May until the Pakistani Military finally regained full control of the region. Mercy Relief arrived in June to provide humanitarian assistance.

Partner(s): Cargill, Royal Bank of Scotland

How we helped:

• Partnered with Cargill which donated US$75,000 to fund Maternal and Child Healthcare (MCHC) and other rehabilitation efforts
• Sent a three-man relief team that:
  • Delivered urgently-required food and medical supplies and medical equipment
  • Distributed four weeks’ worth of food supplies to 200 families with five to six members each
  • Set up a new Maternal and Child Healthcare Centre, the first and only obstetrics and neo-natal care facility for Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) in the district. It included:
    • A cardiotocograph (CTG) machine for foetal monitoring
    • An ultrasound scanner
    • Laboratory microscopes
  • Royal Bank of Scotland donated an ambulance which Mercy Relief procured and handed over to the local hospital