Partnering for Pakistan: Mercy Corps, ITT

By now you’ve probably all heard about the devastation that’s occurred in Pakistan recently due to massive flooding (due climate change, some say). The magnitude of this disaster is astounding, and all affected people have been left without pretty much every living need:

Infographic of the Pakistan Flood Numbers

But there are some good organizations trying their best to help the region out. Mercy Corps has teamed up with high-tech manufacturing and engineering firm ITT to make a dent in the number of people who currently have no drinkable water.

Fast Company reports that the two organizations have teamed up to distribute portable water treatment systems to Pakistan in the wake of the flood crisis. The beauty of this project is that only a few systems need to be in place to help thousands of Pakistanis. Already they’ve provided water for 110,000 people with only five (count ’em, FIVE) water treatment systems.

The aid doesn’t stop there. Both organizations are also in Pakistan to assess the short and long-term needs of the region. Mercy Corps is performing the assessment, and ITT is providing the funds for it.

The systems themselves were bought from an organization called ScanWater, who manufactures such systems for NGO’s and these kinds of emergencies. Incidentally, ITT and Mercy Corps also teamed up (using the same ScanWater systems) to help provide clean water for Haiti in the aftermath of the earthquake there.