Floods in Pakistan

Hello! We are three friends - Aneesa, Anum and Nadia - who hail from Pakistan and are currently students in Cambridge, MA. We are running the Cambridge half-marathon on Nov 6, 2022 to raise funds for the victims of the devastating floods that hit Pakistan this summer. Thank you for your interest in our fundraiser!

The floods in Pakistan are on a scale that is hard to imagine. One-third of the country is under water, and nearly 33 million people have been displaced. For perspective, that is greater than the approximately 27 million people globally displaced by all natural disasters in 2021. UN secretary general, António Guterres, visited Pakistan in September and said that he has 'never seen climate carnage' on such a scale.

There are also personal stories and connections. Just this summer, Aneesa was in the Kalam valley of Swat trekking with her father, enjoying the beautiful terrain and forming relationships with the region's people. One of these people, Mohammad Zaman, pictued with Aneesa and her dad below, lost his house to the floods.

One of the most famous hotels in the same area, the Honeymoon hotel in Kalam, simply crashed to the ground. This video, that went viral on social media, captures the alarming speed with which it happened.

Pakistan has contributed less than 1% of global greenhouse gas emissions but is among the most vulnerable countries to climate change. One of the impacts of climate change is more environmental disasters like floods, droughts and wildfires, which disproportionately affect those who contribute the least to global emissions. These floods can be a moment for all of us who contribute disproportionately to global warming to help those bearing its worst effects.

We will split all funds raised across several organizations working on the ground for immediate relief and rehabilitation. If you would like to donate to a specific organization or effort, let us know and we can route your donation there.

Our sweaty, post-run selves want to thank you for your generosity!