Home and Homelessness: 2 Pictures, 2 Stories

Posted on June 30, 2009
Filed Under >Adil Najam, Disasters, Society
19 Comments
Total Views: 99093

Adil Najam

These are two amazing pictures.

Both were taken today (June 30, 2009) but they tell two very different stories. Each story is equally true and each story is equally important. The stories are about the little girls in the pictures. But they are also stories about each one of us.

The first is a picture of hope. It depicts a child clinging to her mother and a bus window while on a bus that is returning to Buner, in district Mardan, as some IDPs start returning to their homes.

The second is a picture of displacement. The picture of another child – only a little older than the first one – at a UNHCR camp (Yar Hussain) in Swabi who is pushing a canister of water for her displaced family.

Our prayers are with both these little girls. May we all see more pictures like the first and less like the second. But it is more than just the return of IDPs to their homes that we must strive for. Not until the future of every child in Pakistan has been made safe and peaceful and secure can the future of any of us be safe and peaceful and secure.

19 responses to “Home and Homelessness: 2 Pictures, 2 Stories”

  1. Ralph Jones says:

    The IDP’s situation has grown very fragile in Pakistan, the world should unite together in helping them out as this is the biggest displacement ever and helping them is in the interest of everyone as well as from the humanitarian point of view.

  2. Israr says:

    Not until the future of every child in Pakistan has been made safe and peaceful and secure can the future of any of us be safe and peaceful and secure.

    Very well said. INhshallah

  3. Hassan says:

    The Pakistani IDPs have been at the battlefront against the Taliban killers. They has suffered so that all the rest of us do not. Now is the time for us to show our solidarity with them. I pray for all their safety and well being.

  4. Asim says:

    … i hope u didnt took these images,
    if yes, then i hope u were not heartless enough to help the
    child and picked her water bottles, which she not able to lift
    we should help these ppl not just enough to show images online
    pakistan shouldnt be poor and begging other countries.

    Allah help those who help themselves; and we must help
    ownself n others

  5. Daktar says:

    The comment from “model town blog” is the most heartless and inhuman comment I have ever read!

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