Lessons in the "floods" Category

Pakistan floods: Millions homeless: More aid needed

The recent floods in Pakistan have caused utter devastation across many parts of the country. Millions of people are now homeless, many are now without jobs. The agricultural heartland of the country has been destroyed. The monsoon-triggered floods have hit a fifth of Pakistan. An estimated 20 million people are affected.

Experts say food, clean water and shelter is urgently needed to avert a humanitarian catastrophe. Tens of thousands of villages remain under water. Aid agencies say the situation is actually worsening, as new flood waters continue to surge south down the Indus river. More flood defence systems are collapsing, forcing people to flee their homes. So far 1,500 have died in the floods. The threat of disease remains high.

The army has been dropping limited supplies in some areas but in many other areas there has been no assistance. There is a desperate need for international aid but so far this has been pitifully slow. The world does not seem to care about just how bad the situation on the ground actually is in Pakistan. But why? Is it the slow nature of the disaster relative to say an earthquake or tsunami? Maybe it’s because of the terrorist threat, the poor showing of the Pakistani politics or simply because it is just Pakistan?

Category: Asia / Pakistan / Floods