So I have been mulling over writing a blog about the flood disaster in Pakistan for a few days now but have not had the chance to blog for a while. So here goes, my thoughts on the floods mixed in with facts and figures.
I think it is so easy to just think of a world disaster as just another misfortune somewhere in the world when it gets to such a scale. So, just to highlight how devastating these floods are, let’s look at some figures.
Reports estimate the number of people severely affected by the flooding at around 20 million. That’s a third of the population of the UK or over 50 times the population of Brunei. Of these 20 million people, 9 million are said to be children. [NB. from the UN: “To be “affected” means to somehow be in need of humanitarian assistance because of the flooding.”] The UN have said that this is more than the number of people affected by the boxing day tsunami, Haiti earthquake, northern Pakistan earthquake and hurricane Katrina combined – although there were more deaths.
Secretary General of the UN, Ban Ki-moon gives a concise evaluation:
Pakistan is facing a slow-motion tsunami. Its destructive power will accumulate and grow with time… Make no mistake: this is a global disaster, a global challenge. It is one of the greatest tests of global solidarity in our times.
In the next six months, half a million women are expected to give birth in areas affected by the floods. Over 6 million people do not have access to clean water – almost the entire population of London. 3,500,000 children are at risk of deadly water-born diseases – that is more than the population of Singapore.
Over 3.2 million hectares (about 16% of cultivated land) of crops have been destroyed by the flooding – that’s roughly the size of Switzerland and that is just the area of crops not of land underwater! A huge livelihood simply wiped out as approximately 80% of the population depend on agriculture.
So far the UN has asked for $460 million for immediate relief yet only been able to raise 32% of this. Corruption and terrorism are cited as some of the reasons donations have been so weak.
At the beginning of the flooding 274 mm of rain fell in Peshawar during a 24 hour period – that is three and a half times the monthly average for that time of year – and this was in just one day.
The difficulty with emergencies generated from flooding is that floods build up over time – not instant hits like tsunamis and earthquakes. The size of the disaster is continually growing. Funding, aid and support over the coming months and years as the floods slip off the news tickers will be vital.
So what can be done?
Raising awareness is huge and easy to do. I have really been surprised at the number of status updates on facebook that make mention of the flooding. OK, many of my friends have connections with Pakistan as I was brought up there but it is still encouraging. Raising awareness helps with, even if you can, the next part: fund raising.
As with any international disaster funding will always be required and many charities are seeking people to give generously. As outlined above with concerns over corruption, it does take careful consideration to decide who to give through to ensure the money is effectively used. Groups such as Tearfund work with local agencies on the ground in Pakistan such as SSEWA-Pak. By raising awareness about the need for aid and by giving to such organisations you can help overcome the idea that money goes straight to line ministers pockets or arm terrorists. SSEWA-Pak work with a number of other agencies beyond Tearfund and will be involved in various projects to rebuild schools and other community buildings long after the media have forgotten about what is happening.
Tearfund suggest that £88 will be enough to supply four families with a food package to last 30 days. That’s surely much less than you even spend on your own lunch in a month.
You have done well to read this far and please don’t stop reading just because I put a paragraph about religion in! As a Christian I feel I have a responsibility to take an interest and act upon it. As Romans CH12 v15 says:
Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.
I have many things to be thankful for and am so much more ‘well off’ than many in Pakistan at the best of times – yet they are the ones that are in the wrong place at the wrong time and have to deal with such awful consequences.
Furthermore, not only do I have earthly things to be thankful for but, as 1Peter 1:22 says:
You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters.
Brothers and sisters does not need to be read as fellow Christians but as fellow human beings. Just as we are told that Christ has loved us, so we must love one another.
Now, taking a ‘non-religious’ stance on it even ignoring the responsibility I feel as a Christian, I also think we have a responsibility as a human beings. We hear all the time that we live in such a ‘small world’ and how through modern technology we now live in a global community. Well part of living in a community, I think, means supporting other members within that community. As such, regardless of our different beliefs, we should be doing something.
So what am I doing about it? Well, in a few weeks time I plan to host a fund raising dinner. Late last year we found an excellent Pakistani restaurant in Kuilap here in Brunei. The food is very authentic and I have got to know the owner, Amjad, a bit. I plan to get the restaurant to cater for us and charge those who wish to come – with the money going to the rebuilding of communities in Sindh, southern Pakistan (where I grew up). The few people I bounced the idea off have responded very positively and I am hopeful that it will be an enjoyable evening with the people of Pakistan the ones who benefit the most.
So to finish with, here is a news report from an area suffering from the flooding. So what you think, there are hundreds on the news and internet now. Well this one reports from Hyderabad, Sindh – my home from age 2.
Thanks for reading. Please let me know your thoughts and what you are doing or could do to help.
-PlaneSimple
PlaneSimple Thoughts 