Providing disaster victims with everyday food

From February to March 2023, Zensho distributed food in flood-stricken areas of Pakistan through JEN, a non-profit organization that provides emergency relief on the ground.

In Pakistan, torrential rains caused by monsoons and other factors have continued since June 2022, resulting in widespread flooding across the country. In August, one-third of the country was submerged, and on the 25th of that month, the Pakistani government declared a "national emergency." The floods have resulted in more than 1,700 deaths and affected more than 33 million people, or about one in seven of the population.

Many houses were washed away, flooded, or collapsed in the affected areas, and even farmland and livestock, which are sources of income for the people, were damaged. People who evacuated when the disaster struck are gradually returning to their original homes, but some people are still living in tents because their basic needs have not been restored.

In response to this disaster, Zensho decided to provide emergency assistance in September 2022 and conducted fundraising activities at its group stores. In parallel, it consulted with various related organizations regarding the details of the assistance and decided to distribute food through JEN.

JEN's local staff traveled to Dadu district in Sindh province, one of the hardest-hit areas with approximately 850,000 affected people, to assess the extent of the damage. Villages were selected to receive food based on criteria such as partially or completely destroyed homes, households that have not yet received food assistance, and households with disabled individuals, pregnant women, or infants.

In villages where food is distributed, a beneficiary identification committee, composed of village residents, and JEN staff identify recipients and visit each household directly to confirm their circumstances.

Once the beneficiaries were determined, each village received a carefully crafted package from local staff containing rice and wheat flour, which are staple foods in the area, as well as beans and tea, which are commonly consumed by the people of Pakistan.

One woman who received food this time, and who was expecting her fourth child, expressed her gratitude, saying, "I was so grateful to receive food during this important time before my baby is born."

Another woman smiled and told the staff, "It's such a luxury to be able to drink chai (tea) even in times like these." Chai is often thought of as a luxury item, but it is an indispensable part of people's lives. Even while living in evacuation centers, being able to drink chai and have a moment to relax is directly linked to regaining the energy needed for recovery.

Zensho will continue to engage in business activities and support activities that are tailored to the needs of disaster-stricken areas in the future.