Number of the Day: 175,000,000

Posted on August 17, 2010
Filed Under >Adil Najam, Disasters, Economy & Development, Environment
25 Comments
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Adil Najam

The only number more important than the number ‘One’ in Pakistan today is the number 175,000,000.

One represents the power of ‘You.’ 175,000,000 represents the power of ‘Us.’

The number for today (see previous numbers here, here, here, here, here) represents the total population of Pakistan. Because either we will all swim out of this crisis holding hands together. Or no one will.

If you doubt that, please read again the post from yesterday and the (lost) lessons of the 1970 Bhola Cyclone which not not devastated Pakistan but quite literally helped break up the country (Op-Ed version published in Express Tribune).

However, we do not need to overly dramatize the situation. It is dramatic enough already. Just take a look at all the other numbers; even though they do not even begin to explain the full magnitude of this disaster. (See earlier compilations here and here):

Pakistanis Directly Affected:
20,000,000+
(According to the UN this eclipses even in the 2004 Tsunami, 2005 Kashmir Earthquake and the 2010 Haiti Earthquake combined)

Proportion of Pakistan now Submerged:
20% (One-Fifth) of the Country
(Greater than the size of all England, all Bangladesh, and some 140 different countries )

Proportion of Pakistanis now Affected:
11% – 1 Out of Every 9 Pakistanis
(Greater than the entire population of Sri Lanka, Netherlands, Switzerland, and over 150 different countries)

Pakistanis in Urgent Need of Food Relief:
6,000,000+
(Others need assistance too, these are life-threatening)

Children at Risk of Disease:
3,500,000+
(Cholera outbreaks have already been reported)

Pakistanis now Homeless:
2,000,000+
(In need of immediate shelter assistance)

Pakistanis Reached by Relief Efforts:
500,000
(Compare to numbers above)

Agricultural Cropland Already flooded:
1,400,000 acres
(Also 10,000 cows have perished)

Houses Destroyed and Damaged:
900,000
(In every province of Pakistan)

Estimated Cost of Rebuilding After Floods:
US$15,000,000,000
(US$2.5B in Northern Areas only)

UN’s Appeal for Assistance:
US$459,000,000
(Made on August 11, 2010)

Amount Pledged by UN in Response to Appeal:
US$352,500,000
(Including $75.76M from USA, $$44M from Saudi Arabia, $32.3M from UK, $27M from UN, $26M from EU)

Amount Received by UN in Response to Appeal:
US$184,000,000
(As of August 17, 2010)

Tents Provided:
119,000
(By comparison, 1M tents  provided after 2005 Earthquake)

Boats Available for Rescue Activities:
912
(NMDA numbers, August 16)

Helicopters Available for Rescue Activities:
57
(NMDA numbers, August 16)

There is not much to say after this, is there? So let me say once again what I have already said:

The only number more important than the number ‘One’ in Pakistan today  is the number 175,000,000.

One represents the power of ‘You.’ 175,000,000 represents the power of ‘Us.’

25 responses to “Number of the Day: 175,000,000”

  1. Basheer Aslam says:

    The magnitude of this flood still boggles the mind. I fear the real damage will come after the floods have gone. Because the real challenge is of reconstruction.

  2. Ben says:

    Floods are not only tearing through Pakistan’s breadbasket, these are possibly breeding increased militancy. Read more at: http://fmeducation.blogspot.com/2010/08/as-furious -floods-tear-through.html

  3. Qaiser says:

    Thank you for compiling these numbers. I have not seen a better list that fully conveys just what we are facing!

  4. ajay says:

    Pakistan President Zardari Interrupts Vacation to Investigate Flood Damage to Personal Property
    http://wp.me/pIP1s-5Q

  5. Sadia Hussain says:

    The foreign aid has started to pour up after the visit of UN Sectary General Ban KI Moon. The UN has donated 10 million for relief efforts and other countries have increased their donations too. It is now vital that a need assessment is done and the process of rehabilitation is started in a transparent manner. By ensuring transparency we can restore the faith of donors in our cause of helping the flood victims.

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