Now into my 5^th day in Nowshera, am I getting the chance to put my mind onto paper, and share with you all my thoughts and feelings so far.

 

As I arrived into Islamabad airport, I was occupied by the thought of my ways to communicate and convey my message to the rest of the world. Without delay, I approached the security officer, and asked for internet access. Initially I was refused, but after explaining my role and purpose of visit, I was granted unlimited access along with a cup of tea and biscuit. Shortly after, I started my journey to Nowshera, I pulled out my blackberry, and watched the signal bars fluctuate, eventually dwindling down to nothing. Even my Pakistani sim had lost all signal. My heart was racing, my mind blanked, and I fell into panic as I couldn’t help but think of how I will re-establish contact if something were to go wrong. Right at that moment, I realized that this feeling was with in every person displaced by the floods. Families were torn apart, mothers from their children, sisters from brothers, husbands from wives. And this whole time I was panicked by the loss of a signal? A sudden surge of relief came over me, and my phone became a thought of the past.

 

I arrived into Nowshera, and was greeted by thousands of displaced people in the government college of technology. It was manic, there was no discipline, no organisation, on order, no nothing. As I suggested announcing a formation of a queue, a lady approached me with her unfed child, begging for help. It then dawned on me that my systematic British approach just couldn’t work here. How do I turn around to this lady and ask her to walk back another 300 yards and wait? Everybody was in the same position.

 

I attempted to re-establish signal, to connect to ‘my world’ again. But I was hoping for a miracle. It was just me, my driver, my photographer and thousands of people looking at us with hope in their eyes. This scene alone is what gives me the motivation to keep going. Hungers, thirst, my family, my friends, were somewhat all forgotten of, as I witnessed the torment of what had befallen these people. At this moment I realized this was worse than what I had anticipated.

 

Just over 1 year ago, this same city opened their arms to the displaced people of SWAT, now a year on, they are seeking help on an unimaginable scale.

 

I will keep you all updated as duty calls.