# Flood relief: how to help > Source: World Aid Network — https://worldaidnetwork.org/emergency-relief/floods > Last reviewed: 2026-08-15 ## In short Floods wash away homes, crops and clean water in hours. The most useful help from the UK is a card donation: local partners buy food, drinking water, hygiene kits and shelter nearby. World Aid Network funds flood relief in Pakistan, Indonesia and Malaysia. Disaster gifts do not rebuild houses. Floods are the most common natural disaster in the regions where World Aid Network works. In Pakistan, monsoon rains and glacial melt routinely burst rivers and submerge whole districts; in Indonesia, flash floods and landslides follow heavy rain. Each time, families lose their homes, their harvest and their access to clean water in a matter of hours. The instinct to send blankets, clothes or tinned food is generous — but for overseas disasters, a financial gift almost always helps more. It avoids shipping costs and customs delays, supports local markets, and lets responders buy precisely what is needed on the ground. This guide explains what flood survivors need most and how to make sure your help reaches them. ## At a glance - Most urgent needs: Clean water, food, shelter - Biggest health risk: Waterborne disease - Where: Pakistan & Indonesia - Delivered by: Trusted local partners ## How to help flood-affected families - Donate to a flood relief fund: A cash donation is the fastest and most effective way to help. It lets local responders buy exactly what families need, when they need it, without the delay and cost of shipping goods from abroad. - Fund clean water and sanitation: Contaminated water is the deadliest threat after a flood. Funding safe drinking water, water-purification supplies and sanitation prevents outbreaks of cholera and other waterborne disease. - Fund emergency food and shelter: Help provide food parcels and emergency shelter for families whose homes and crops have been destroyed, so they can survive the critical first weeks. - Give monthly so the fund is ready: Floods are predictable in season but strike suddenly. A regular monthly gift means the relief fund is already in place before the next monsoon, so help can move on day one. - Share the appeal: Sharing a trusted appeal with friends, family and colleagues multiplies the help reaching affected families. ## Why floods are so dangerous The immediate danger of drowning and destroyed homes is only the start. The deadliest threat often comes afterwards: floodwater contaminates wells and water supplies with sewage and debris, and in crowded temporary shelters, waterborne diseases such as cholera and diarrhoeal illness can spread quickly — a particular danger to young children. Flooding also wipes out food: crops rot, livestock drown, and markets close. Families who were already poor can be pushed into crisis overnight, without clean water, food, dry shelter or a way to cook. Please donate so partners can put those three essentials in their hands. ## What World Aid Network funds after a flood World Aid Network's emergency relief focuses on the essentials that keep families alive in the first days and weeks after a flood. Disaster gifts do not rebuild houses or restore farms: - Clean, safe drinking water and water-purification supplies - Hygiene kits — soap, sanitary items and purification supplies that sit with water - Emergency food parcels for displaced families - Temporary shelter kits — tarpaulins and materials for a dry place to sleep ## How can I help flood victims in Pakistan? Donate to the Pakistan Floods Appeal. A card gift lets local partners buy clean water, food, hygiene kits and shelter nearby and reach families within days — far faster than shipping goods from Britain. Please give monthly so the fund is ready before the next monsoon. The 2022 Pakistan floods affected more than 33 million people and damaged about 1.7 million homes. Those are published disaster figures, not World Aid Network caseloads. We ask you to fund food, water and shelter for the next family who will need them. ## How relief reaches families World Aid Network does not run its own overseas teams. Instead, all emergency relief is delivered through trusted local partner organisations who are already in the affected communities, understand local needs, and can buy supplies locally. This means aid arrives faster, costs less, and supports the local economy rather than competing with it. Donations given for emergency relief are restricted to that purpose. World Aid Network is a UK Charitable Incorporated Organisation, governed by named trustees, with charity registration in progress. ## Key takeaways - Floods are the most frequent disaster in Pakistan and Indonesia, destroying homes, crops and clean water. - A cash donation helps more than goods — it avoids shipping costs and lets responders buy what's needed locally. - The deadliest post-flood threat is contaminated water and waterborne disease. - World Aid Network funds clean water, food, shelter and sanitation through trusted local partners. - A monthly gift keeps the relief fund ready before the next monsoon strikes. ## Related pages - First Aid — How to give first aid in the UK — 999, bleeding, burns, choking and CPR. https://worldaidnetwork.org/first-aid - Humanitarian Appeal — Standing fund — food, water, hygiene kits and shelter in a humanitarian emergency. https://worldaidnetwork.org/appeal/humanitarian-appeal - Crisis Appeal — Standing fund — food, water, hygiene kits and shelter when a crisis hits. https://worldaidnetwork.org/appeal/crisis-appeal - Disasters Emergency Relief — Standing fund — food, water, hygiene kits and shelter after disaster. https://worldaidnetwork.org/appeal/disasters-emergency-relief - Pakistan Floods Appeal — Mark your gift for flood-affected families in Pakistan. https://worldaidnetwork.org/appeal/pakistan-emergency - Floods & Earthquake Appeal — Standing three-country disaster fund. https://worldaidnetwork.org/appeal/emergency-floods - Emergency relief hub — Food, water, hygiene kits and shelter after disaster. https://worldaidnetwork.org/emergency-relief - Earthquake relief — Why the first 72 hours after a quake matter. https://worldaidnetwork.org/emergency-relief/earthquakes - Winter relief — Blankets and extra tarpaulins when displaced families face the cold. https://worldaidnetwork.org/emergency-relief/seasonal-winter - Food aid charity — Emergency food parcels after a harvest is lost. https://worldaidnetwork.org/food-aid-charity - Clean water charity — Water charity — emergency drinking water, not wells. https://worldaidnetwork.org/clean-water-charity ## Frequently asked questions ### How can I help flood victims in Pakistan? The most effective way is to donate to a flood relief fund. A financial gift lets local responders buy exactly what families need — clean water, food, shelter — quickly and locally, without the cost and delay of shipping goods. World Aid Network funds flood relief in Pakistan through trusted local partner organisations already on the ground. You can also give monthly so the fund is ready before the next flood, and share the appeal to multiply its reach. ### What do flood survivors need most? In the first days, the priorities are clean drinking water (to prevent deadly waterborne disease), emergency food, and temporary shelter, along with basic hygiene and sanitation. Clean water is usually the single most urgent need, because floodwater contaminates wells and supplies and disease spreads fast in crowded shelters. ### Is it better to donate money or goods for a flood appeal? For an overseas flood, money is almost always more useful than goods. Cash avoids the high cost and long delays of international shipping and customs, supports local markets, and lets responders buy precisely what is needed on the ground — rather than items chosen from far away that may not match local needs. ### How do I know my flood donation actually reaches families? World Aid Network delivers all emergency relief through trusted local partner organisations already working in affected communities, and donations given for emergency relief are restricted to that purpose. WAN is a UK Charitable Incorporated Organisation governed by named trustees, with charity registration in progress. ### Does World Aid Network respond to floods outside Pakistan? World Aid Network's work is focused on Pakistan, Indonesia and Malaysia. Flooding is a recurring emergency in both Pakistan and Indonesia, and WAN funds relief in these regions through local partner organisations when disasters strike. ## How you can help World Aid Network funds emergency relief through trusted local partners in Pakistan, Indonesia and Malaysia. Donate at https://worldaidnetwork.org/donate --- This is general information, not medical advice, published by World Aid Network. Always consult a qualified clinician about your own health.