Owais Mughal
Baluchistan was hit by a cyclone named ‘Yemyeni’ four days ago and it has caused widespread havoc. BBC news site is reporting that 800000 people have been affected. Today there are even reports of rioting by the hungry people waiting for aid to arrive. Worst affected area is reported to be Turbat where water over ran the embankments of Mirani dam. Government aid has started pouring in slowly but a lot needs to be done. The detailed news about the cyclone and rain havoc across Baluchistan is all over the national and international media therefore at ATP we will let following images do the talking. The title photo above is of a submerged Turbat mosque.
These photos have been linked to the news sites and clicking on them will take you to their parent websites.
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In this photo, the main road to Turbat is seen washed away in a flash flood. This photo is from thursday, June 28, 2007. Turbat city which has a population of 150000 is also without drinking water and electricity. Government of Pakistan has confirmed 14 deaths and 23 missing as of friday but this number may go higher once the water recedes.
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In the photo to the right, angry protestors are seen walking towards the ‘nazim’ (mayor’s) office of Turbat. They are protesting slow and meager aid reaching their villages. The water from the hand-drwan wells has been rendered undrinkable due to floods and tube-wells which draw water from much deeper could not be operated because of power failure. Rauf Rind, nazim (mayor) of Kech said:
“The entire town has been inundated and people have taken refuge in tall buildings and trees”.
Chakar Baloch who walked more than 40 km through the night to reach Turbat said:
“Every family is looking for one or two members”.
Others feared they would never see their missing family members again.
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Photo shows some of the problems that this cyclone has brought to people in the affected areas.
More photos of Baluchistan rains can be seen at BBC news site here.
This is a chance to prove to our brothers in Balochistan that they are not “Yateem”. A lot has been said already.
If anyone of you has a good and reliable network which can ensure timely and direct delivery of help in Balochistan to the needy, please let it be known here.
Humaira our people are emotionally expressive to either religous debates or political debates. Say anything about the mullahs and the defenders of islam will rise from the dead to win the ‘sawabs’ of defending it. Say anything about musharraf or punjabies and their will be an uproar. People comment on things they are attached too. Balochs are a minority, and no wonder this alienation is making them nationalists.
Adil, the tragedy is that even your readers are not very interested in the human tragedy unfolding here. No one seems to be.
Aqil,
Kawa1 and I had posted this info on:
http://pakistaniat.com/2007/06/04/pakistan-musharr af-crackdown-news-channels-geo-ary-shahid-masood/
Reposting upon your request:
drshahid@geo.tv
aaj@geo.tv
capitaltalk@geo.tv
http://www.geo.tv/geop/tell_geo.asp
http://www.aaj.tv/contactus.php
Cyclone Yemyin devours two million livestock
http://thenews.jang.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id =8807
By Shahid Husain
KARACHI: While more than 1 million people have been rendered homeless due to the ferocity of Cyclone Yemyin, the impoverished people, especially in Balochistan,
have also lost their livelihood because an estimated 2 million livestock valued at Rs 4 billion has been devoured by the floods.
“It’s too early to say with certainty about the livestock losses but conservative estimates indicates that at least 2 million livestock, valued at Rs 4
billion, have been lost in Balochistan alone,