Pakistan: Floods again

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Pakistan's socio-economic life was topsy-turveyed by devastating floods last year described four times deadlier than Asian tsunami. While it was yet struggling to get back one-fifth of the country's population and land inundated by water on its feet, it has again been hit by torrential rains and flooding of enormous magnitude.

This time its second largest province - Sindh - has had the worst of rain and floods have wreaked havoc. Approximately five million lives have been uprooted besides causing huge devastation to livestock and standing crops. Hundreds of people have lost their lives; over four million acres of land is under water; 2.5 million acres of crops have been destroyed; and over a million houses have been damaged or washed away.

The situation is worsening with forecast of more widespread rains in the area. Initial estimates paint a grim picture with economic losses caused by these rains could run into billions of dollars. Losses of last year's devastating floods, which had uprooted over 20 million, were estimated by the World Bank and Asian Development Bank at $10 billion.

In the wake of the current severity and scale of this natural disaster, urgent humanitarian assistance is required to save lives and continue rescue operations. The most pressing needs at the moment are for tents, aqua tablets, water purification equipment, food supplies, de-watering pumps and medicines.

President Asif Ali Zardari was seen waddling through knee-high flooding water and mixing freely with the victims acquiring first hand knowledge of its devastation. He reassured the people that his government wont leave any stone unturned to rescue, rehabilitate and get the victims back on their feet. He has also appealed to the international community for humanitarian and rehabilitation assistance.

The President has requested the UN Secretary General to mobilise the international community for urgently needed relief assistance to save precious lives. A team of UN agencies is visiting the affected areas for a needs assessment. The President has urged upon the people of Pakistan, including the expatriate community as well, to make generous contributions and assist in the rescue, relief and rehabilitation efforts for millions affected by this natural calamity.

The government of Pakistan was still grappling with last year's devastation; the unprecedented torrential rains followed by flooding were the last thing one would have expected to hit the country already head-deep involved in war against terrorism besides already facing enormous problems including acute energy crisis and a challenging law and order situation.

Despite better economic performance, with 40 per cent rise in exports ($27 billion), robust foreign exchange reserves ($18 billion), highest level of remittances by Pakistani Diaspora ($12 billion) and a bullish trend in stock market (12000 points), the country needs the international community's support, especially in providing immediate relief to the affected people, including life-saving medicines, shelter and drinking water.

It is good to know that the Indian government is in the final stages of firming up its mind to stop opposing Pakistan's efforts to get market access in EU. Such a positive and friendly step from India will go a long way in in giving a much-desired fillip to fast improving relationship between Delhi and Islamabad.

The Pakistani community in UK has always been at the forefront whenever Pakistan faced any calamity. Last year, the community made generous contribution in the Prime Minister's Flood Relief Fund. The community also directly reached out to the flood victims and built thousands of houses in all the four provinces of Pakistan.

The British government's generous assistance of £134 million and Disaster Emergency Committee's (DEC) donation of £71 million, distributed through its affiliate NGOs, provided much needed relief to the devastated people. The rehabilitation work is still in hand when the fresh disaster struck.

The current torrential rains have again put an added strain on the government and the people to provide relief to the affected people. Both the President Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani are making hectic efforts to mobilise Pakistanis back home and international Diaspora to come to the aid of their country, I am confident that the international community would once again come forward to play its role in sharing the new enormity of burden on the government of Pakistan.

The government and people of Pakistan are aware of the donor fatigue due to various emergencies world over and would continue to rely on its own resources and share the major burden of the relief and rehabilitation work. But certain emergencies are beyond any government's control such as provision of tents, aqua tablets, water purification equipment for water, food supplies and medicines.

Since time is of essence, urgent relief would be needed for the flood victims. Pakistani missions are on their toes to guide the Pakistani community to channel their relief efforts through the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) since NDMA as being the apex body is in a much better position to coordinate relief work and reach out to the affected in the areas where assistance is needed most on most urgent basis.

(The writer is Pakistan's High Commissioner in London)