MANY readers will remember the devastating floods that hit Pakistan last year.

This is the first anniversary of the floods that killed 1,700 people, destroyed nearly two million homes and affected 20 million people – roughly 85 per cent of whom were women and children.

Women bear a particularly heavy load when disaster strikes, as can be seen in the current crisis hitting the Horn of Africa.

They are most likely to be responsible for children and least likely to have access to essential information and resources.

They also serve as lynch pins when communities begin to rebuild.

I am a supporter of aid agency CARE International, which remains in Pakistan to help. CARE recognises the role women play in an emergency. Women ensure their families are fed, sometimes giving up meals themselves. They do their best to provide a semblance of normality, helping families cope emotionally.

CARE eases this burden through food, shelter and social support for everyone, especially women.

Times are hard at the moment but I would like to urge readers to remember the survivors of the Pakistan floods, and think about supporting CARE and the important work it is doing for women and their families caught up in disasters around the world.

Dr BEN BROUGHTON, Wilsham Road, Abingdon careinternational.org.uk