Mentally ready for Sindh floods23rd September, 2011 07:10 AM |
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In the summer of 2010, Pakistan was hit by severe floods which, according to UN was‘the greatest humanitarian crisis in recent history’. I was able, as part of Islamic Relief, to visit the flood stricken areas in Khyber Pukhtoon khawa, Punjab and Sindh to help the people and see the damage. 21 million people were affected by the floods that swept through the country, leaving millions without homes and families.
I have been regularly visiting Pakistan to see how the country had progressed since the floods began in Aug 2010. About six weeks ago, August 2011, the Sindh province of Pakistan experienced torrential rain during the monsoon season, once again causing severe floods. Already, around seven million people have been affected, millions of homes destroyed. I am once here in Sindh, going to visit the most recent flood victims to see the devastation, and to support the local Islamic Relief team.
The whole world is focussing on Pakistan for many reasons; the country is facing many internal challenges; political crisis, energy crisis, poverty crisis, Terrorism, target killings, natural disasters to name but a few. I don’t think it is not possible for the Pakistani government alone to meet the flood challenge; help is urgently needed from the International Community to save lives.
Arrived in our Sindh office here in Thatta where my team will brief me on our relief and development activities. My plan is to visit camps, meet flood victims, witness Islamic Relief’s programmes and assess present and future needs. I will be travelling to Badin and Murmur Khans. At one point I am informed Badin was totally cut-off from the rest of the country and the only access was by air using helicopters or using boats.
Mentally, I am ready to meet people who have once again lost literally everything from their homes to their family members and their livestock. I am ready to meet people, including millions of children affected by diseases carried in the dirty flood waters. And to meet those living in the poorest of conditions that the majority of people will find impossible to even imagine.
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Tags: Sindh , floods , Pakistan , Islamic Relief , Disasters |
10th October, 2011 07:29 AM
Good Article showing situation trouble in sindh