Adil Najam
The death toll continues to mount. From 228 it leapt up to 417, and now the authorities in Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa province say that it is more than 800. Casualties are also mounting in Sindh Punjab and Baluchistan.
If the 800 number is correct then the national toll must be well above 1000. And all of this as the ‘super flood’ that is expected in Sindh and Punjab because of these rains has not even hit as yet!
But the number of the day today is neither 800 or 1000, it is 1,000,000: Over one million people, according to the United Nations, have now been affected by these rains in Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa alone. That number is bound to be much larger if you count the entire country, and is bound to grow even larger.
Hopefully these will be short-term displacements, but they are tragic – and unnecessary – displacements nonetheless. As commenters have already pointed out, there is nothing ‘natural’ about this disaster. It is entirely human made. People die not because it rains, they die because they do not have the means to cope with the rains. They do not have the means because of poverty and maldevelopment. These are preventable deaths and preventable displacement. The question is only whether we have the will to prevent.
The dead have unfortunately gone already. It is too late for us to act to help them. But let us do whatever we can to help those whose lives have been shattered by these floods. They have little recourse to a national social security net. And we have no excuse not to act.
As we announced yesterday, ATP will be sending all of its revenue to relief agencies working with the poor hit by these flood. We urge our readers to do the same. We are sending our contributions to the Edhi Foundation, but please send yours wherever you feel best, and please also share with us and our readers ideas about what you think are the best ways to help those displaced by these rains.
More details on this calamity here; and a pictorial post of the misery it has brought, here.
Now killings and arson in Karachi, tauba. What’s wrong with this place. Surely we can do better.
@smssr84
You wrote, “….for once ask for Allah’s help and guide.”
ummm…but people of Pakistan have already been doing that since 1947.
Are you going to give up and settle for “it could have been worst had Allah not helped us?”
If so, considering lack of innovators we have in our country, you might be right in thinking that, ‘it really is Allah who helped and guided us other wise we could have been in lot worst shape”.
@smssr84
From my personal experience and the history of the world in the past couple hundred years, Allah does what he does, whether we pray or not. Time spent praying during such desperate times is a waste of time and energy and does no good that I have ever witnessed. Imagine all the man hours that are spent praying per day through out the world, how they could be better used to do something that actually physically helps someone in need.
Example, People who are not in the flooded areas and like to help, rather than praying could find a part time job or something to make money or collect goods to send to the affected area. Praying might work in the long run , but i wouldnt bet my life on it in the short run.
Due to heavey monsoon rains in Pakistan, about half of the Pakistan is under flood. Millions
of people need help. They have no food and shelter. Please create awareness and try to help
these needy people. You can give your suggestions to us at info@forumpakistan.com , your
little help can save a life.
A message from http://www.forumpakistan.com , we request all the charity organization in the
world to come in Pakistan and help in this hour of need.
Thanks.
@Asim
God forbid I am not a Mullah…. neither I am calling u or anyone a kafir. I am no one to suggest who is who. but your comments are scary.
have u seen the magnitude of this flood?? u think it is any normal over flow of water? yes Pakistan lacks development… but do u think any development is bigger then power of Allah.
its about time, pakistanis stop pointing fingers to the fault of others and see where they stand and really for once ask for Allah’s help and guide.