Mercy Corps Receives 'Star of Sacrifice' Award From Pakistan President

Photo: Cassandra Nelson/Mercy Corps

Last week, Mercy Corps president Nancy Lindborg accepted on behalf of the agency an award from the President of Pakistan, General Pervez Musharraf. Mercy Corps was awarded the Sitara-i-Eisaar (Star of Sacrifice) at a special ceremony held at the Embassy of Pakistan in Washington, DC. The award recognizes Mercy Corps' relief efforts following the devastating 7.6 magnitude earthquake that struck the country nearly a year ago.

"Receiving this award is a tremendous honor," Lindborg said following the ceremony. "Mercy Corps is deeply committed to helping the people of Pakistan get back on their feet. This recognition means so much to our dedicated team who worked around the clock for weeks and months to provide relief services on the frontlines of the emergency."

The October 8, 2005, earthquake was the largest in decades to hit the disputed Himalayan region administered by both Pakistan and India. The quake killed more than 73,000 people and left as many as 3 million people without homes. More than 2,000 seismic aftershocks and bad weather and rough terrain complicated relief efforts across the affected region.

Mercy Corps has worked in Pakistan since 1985, and had 180 staff in the country prior to the earthquake, helping to position the agency to quickly launch a large-scale emergency response. Soon after the disaster, Mercy Corps distributed critical relief items to nearly 65,000 people, and treated more than 55,000 injuries and ailments at health clinics throughout the impacted region. Now one year later, relief programs have transitioned toward recovery efforts - repairing bridges, schools, clinics and other buildings and revitalizing communities that lost everything in the earthquake.

The agency's other ongoing programs in Pakistan continue. Mercy Corps is working to build sustainable livelihoods, good governance and secure, productive and just communities through programs focusing on improving health, water access and livelihoods for resident and Afghan refugee populations.