Presently Pakistan is passing through the most critical juncture of its politically chequered history. Most parts of the country, mainly Sindh and Balochistan and some parts in 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, cloudburst and melting of the glaciers in the mountains.
More than 1200 men, women and children have already perished and still larger number of people injured and lakhs of people displaced as their houses, villages and towns have been swept away by onrushing floods and rainwater. Standing crops over vast areas have been washed away, large numbers of trees uprooted, infrastructure like highways, roads, steel-made structures as well as livestock wealth all have been damaged and destroyed to the maximum extent everywhere.
According to the initial estimates of the losses of these heaviest floods and rains by the official agencies have been put at $10 billion. Actual loss estimates would only be made after the water has dried up all over.
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, not only the federal and provincial governments and agencies concerned rose to the occasion to rescue the flood-hit people to provide them relief goods but Pakistan’s friendly countries, international humanitarian and other organizations also came in to help the increasing number of people in great distress.
A gigantic uphill 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. We all from top to bottom would have to tighten our belts to help our people in distress in a continued and concerted manner for years together.
The old proverb ” A Friend in Need is A Friend Indeed” fully fits on these friendly countries and international organizations whose planes carrying relief goods are landing daily at Islamabad and Karachi Airports carrying much needed items like tents, medicines, dry edibles in huge quantities. besides making financial contributions also.
These friendly countries include Saudi Arabia, China, UAE, Qatar, Britain, USA, 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 the growing number of flood-affected people of Pakistan.
Pakistan and the United Nations joined hands to jointly launch “2022 Pakistan Floods Response Plan” at a function organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the UN, at which an appeal was flashed for immediate need of $160 million for flood-hit people for providing them relief and rehabilitating them at the earliest.
Pakistan Floods Response Plan highlighted the main humanitarian needs, 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.
There is a lot more to be said about the friendly countries and organizations who are continuing their humanitarian assistance for the flood-hit people in Pakistan. But for want of space this would be mentioned at some other time.
Besides the foreign countries and organizations, Pakistani people who are known for 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-hit areas of the country.
Charitable organizations and philanthropist individuals who are sending relief goods daily for providing relief to the flood-hit people should better coordinate, channelise and organize their efforts in order to ensure there is no overlapping and duplication, and relief items reach only to the deserving people.
Armed Forces of Pakistan officers and jawans are also in the forefront to rescue the flood hit, provide the relief goods and reach out to distant flooded 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 to 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 damaged infrastructure.
A gigantic uphill 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. We all from top to bottom would have to tighten our belts to help our people in distress in a continued and concerted manner for years together.
