Bicester Rotarians pitch in for Pakistan appeal (From The Oxford Times)

Bicester Rotarians pitch in for Pakistan appeal

3:00pm Saturday 21st August 2010 in

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BICESTER Rotary Club has been out on the streets of the town urging people to help victims of the Pakistan flood disaster.

Club president Liz Yardley and member are pictured with an emergency Shelterbox tent in Sheep Street, collecting cash yesterday.

The UN says the country’s worst flooding in nearly a century has now affected up to 20 million people and left at least 1,600 dead.

Earlier this year, Bicester Rotary collected enough cash to send seven Shelterboxes to people in Haiti after the devastating earthquake destroyed much of the island in January.

Each box contains a 10-person tent, blankets, mosquito nets, tools, cooking equipment, water purification tablets and water containers, and costs £490.

Ms Yardley said people had been donating generously to the Pakistan appeal, adding: “It’s very important we help these people because certainly the extremists will try to capitalise on the situation. They are human beings, brothers, sisters, parents and children. And it’s the children who are most at risk with waterborne diseases.”

Worldwide the Rotary organisation sent enough Shelter boxes to Haiti to help almost one million people, and equipped an emergency hospital.