Presently, Pakistan is passing through the most critical juncture of its politically chequered history. Most parts of the country, mainly Sindh Balochistan and parts of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, have been inundated and submerged by unprecedented heaviest and deadliest rains and snap floods in the rivers caused by climate change, cloudbursts and melting of the glaciers in the mountains.
More than 1200 men, women and children have already perished and a much, much larger number of people, injured. Millions of people have been displaced as their houses, villages and towns have been swept away by onrushing floods and rainy waters. Standing crops over vast areas have been washed away. A large number of trees were uprooted. Infrastructure like highways, roads and steel-made structures as well as livestock and wealth, all have taken a hit: destroyed to the maximum extent everywhere.
Initial estimates of the heaviest floods and rains by the official agencies claim losses to the tune of $10 billion. Actual loss estimates would only be found after the water has dried up.
As the floods and rains lashed out on the people in the rural and urban areas of the country, causing the heaviest losses of men and material, the federal and provincial governments and agencies concerned rose to the occasion to rescue the flood-hit people and provide them with relief goods. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s friendly countries and international humanitarian organisations also came in to help the increasing number of people in great distress.
Pakistani people, known for their generosity the world over, have risen to the occasion once again and are making all-out efforts to provide relief goods to their brethren and sisters.
The old proverb “a friend in need is a friend, indeed,” fully fits these countries whose planes of relief goods are landing at Islamabad and Karachi Airports daily. They carry much-needed items such as tents, medicines and dry eatables in huge quantities, besides making financial contributions.
These friendly countries include Saudi Arabia, China, the UAE, Qatar, Britain, the US, Germany, France, and Australia. The list of these countries is getting lengthier every day, with more and more countries from around the globe coming to the fore with relief and rehabilitation goods in cash and kind for a growing number of flood-affected people of Pakistan.
Pakistan and United Nations joined hands to jointly launch the “2022 Pakistan Floods Response Plan” at a function organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at which an appeal was flashed for the immediate need of $ 160 million for flood-hit people for providing them relief and rehabilitate them at the earliest.
The Plan highlighted the main humanitarian needs, and the efforts and steps taken by the Pakistan Government to handle these challenges in collaboration with the UN and other partners; setting out a well-coordinated and inclusive plan to respond to the needs of the affected people. The Plan was described as being holistic with a multi-sectoral approach covering the thematic clusters of food security and agriculture, health, nutrition, education, protection, shelter and non-food items, water sanitation and hygiene.
More than a trillion dollars in assistance was announced and committed by those who had responded to the invitation by the organizers.
Besides the foreign countries and organizations, Pakistani people, who are known for their generosity the world over, have also risen to the occasion once again and are making all-out efforts to provide relief goods to their brethren and sisters in flood-fit areas of the country.
Charitable organizations and philanthropist individuals, who are sending relief goods daily for providing relief to the flood-hit people, should coordinate, channelise and organize their efforts to ensure there is no overlapping or duplication and relief items reach only the deserving people.
Armed Forces of Pakistan officers and jawans are also in the forefront to rescue the flood hit, provide relief goods and reach out to distanced watered areas to the stranded people through helicopters and boats.
They have also set up relief goods collection centres and camps in large numbers in and around the affected areas and the charitable organizations and philanthropists should coordinate their laudable humanitarian efforts with these armed forces’ relief goods collection centres to ensure their donated goods reach the needy people in an organized and disciplined manner through army helicopters and boats also in the areas which are not otherwise approachable due to washed away and damage infrastructure, please.
An uphill gigantic task lies ahead both for the federal and provincial governments as well as for the charitable organizations and philanthropists and Pakistan’s friends in need as far as the rehabilitation of the flood-hit people, who have lost all their belongings in the floods and rains, is concerned. All of us would have to tighten our belts to help our people in distress in a continued and concerted manner for years together.
The writer is a Lahore-based freelance journalist, columnist and retired Deputy Controller (News), Radio Pakistan, Islamabad and can be reached at zahidriffat @gmail.com