Survivors still struggle to recover
Pakistan
Pakistan families at risk in monsoon: inadequate resources to cope with floods emergency
Islamabad: Lack of funds and limited relief stocks will severely hamper the Pakistan government’s and aid agencies’ ability to respond to further flooding this monsoon season, a consortium of national and international humanitarian organisations warned today.
The agencies said some relief supplies are available to respond quickly in the immediate aftermath of serious flooding but urgent funding would be required to ensure assistance reaches those most in need. They called on the government to request support quickly in the event of an emergency and on donors to support the government and humanitarian community in its response.
“Despite a delayed monsoon this year, the possibility of new floods cannot be ruled out. The international community is prepared to support the Government of Pakistan respond to a flood emergency this year, but it is crucial that a call for international assistance is not delayed if there is large-scale flooding. Without additional funds, humanitarian agencies will struggle to provide the necessary assistance to communities at risk of increased vulnerability from consecutive flooding in the past two years,” says Áine Fay, Pakistan Humanitarian Forum’s (PHF) Chair and Concern Worldwide Country Director.
The humanitarian community supports the government’s efforts in developing and implementing a flood preparedness plan at both provincial and federal levels this year. Saving lives and livelihoods must be at the heart of all preparedness plans and it is vital that an early request for support from the government is issued to minimise the human suffering, and to help mobilize resources for an effective response.
In the aftermath of two consecutive flood disasters in 2010 and 2011, hundreds of thousands of people are still struggling to rebuild their lives and earn a living. “While the emergency appeal funds cater to the immediate needs of those affected, it is vital that the government, donors and the international community ensure long-term support to help rehabilitate communities, restore jobs and enable people to get back on their feet,” said Naseer Memon, Executive Committee Member of the National Humanitarian Network (NHN).
This commitment towards long term investment was missing last year as the UN’s Early Recovery Appeal for the 2011 floods remained only 10 per cent funded while still-needed funding and rehabilitation programmes were phased out gradually after the floods of 2010.
“Pakistan will keep losing out on the development gains made, if investment in measures to reduce the impact of disasters is not made. We appreciate the government’s commitment to the cause but it’s high time that policies present on paper are urgently implemented across the country to secure lives, dignity, livelihoods and scarce resources,” said Arif Jabbar Khan, Country Director of Oxfam in Pakistan.
According to the Economic Survey of Pakistan 2011-12, the floods in Sindh and Baluchistan in 2011 caused losses worth $3.4 billion to infrastructure, agriculture, education, health and housing. While reconstruction in the aftermath of the 2010 floods stood at $10 billion, a loss that could have been reduced substantially by implementing disaster mitigation strategies. The World Bank and Asian Development Bank estimate that an investment of just $27 million backed up with yearly top-ups to mitigate disasters could minimise losses substantially.
More than 440,000 people in dire need of emergency humanitarian assistance after being displaced from Khyber Agency in northwest Pakistan
Islamabad (April 26 2012): A recent influx of 63,000 displaced families –bringing the total to almost half a million people – into the districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has sparked grave concerns among international and national NGOs in Pakistan.
Pakistan floods emergency: Lessons from a continuing crisis
The floods that began in August 2011 and swept across the province of Sindh and parts of neighbouring Balochistan resulted in one of the most destructive disasters that Pakistan has experienced. Six months after the floods began the crisis is far from over. In total, more than 2.5 million men, women and children lack basic necessities such as adequate food and durable shelter. Most people who have returned home are still living in makeshift shelters, struggling to keep their families alive and healthy. The threat of hunger, malnutrition, disease and destitution continues to hang over them.
Millions of Pakistanis struggle to survive as floods crisis continues
Islamabad: Six months after floods devastated Sindh and parts of Balochistan province, millions of Pakistanis still need help to survive, international and national aid agencies warned today. A coalition of agencies also said that a lacklustre response from the international funders is seriously threatening flood hit communities’ chances of coping with the next monsoon season and called on the Pakistani government to boost its efforts to limit the impact of future disasters.
[Read more…] about Millions of Pakistanis struggle to survive as floods crisis continues
Pakistan’s forgotten emergency
Three months after widespread flooding that has affected over 5 million people in southern Pakistan, a critical shortage of funding and broad international disinterest has left millions of people at risk of illness, malnutrition and cold as the winter closes in.
