Adil Najam and Owais Mughal
There are many numbers that we can and should be thinking of today. And we will. But there is only one that counts: One.
That ‘one’ is you. And what you can do to make the life of just ‘one’ of the over 6.5 million people affected by the floods in Pakistan that much better.
Of course, that ‘one’ is not just you. It is also me. And all of us. And what we do, or not do, is our choice. This is the moment to make that choice. We will, each of us, make that choice separately. But we will, all of us, reap the fruits of those choices together.
That is the nature of the challenges we face. That is the nature of the responsibilities that confront us.
All the other relevant numbers continue to rise – and will nearly certainly rise further. All except this ‘one’. Here is where those other numbers stand, as of today (see earlier compilation here):
Pakistanis Affected:
13,800,000
(According to the UN this eclipses even in the 2004 Tsunami)
Death Toll:
1650+
(Estimate of 1500+ in Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa only)
Total International Aid Pledged:
US$102,000,000
(Of which only $10-20 million has been delivered thus far)
Cost to Agriculture:
US$1,000,000,000+
(US$ 1 Billion in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa only)
Agricultural Cropland Already flooded:
1,400,000 acres
(Also 10,000 cows have perished)
Estimated cost of rebuilding roads destroyed:
US$59,000,000
(Mostly in Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa and Punjab)
Estimated cost of rebuilding power infrastructure and dams:
US$29,500,000
(This will only worsen the existing energy crisis)
Houses Destroyed:
650,000
(In Punjab and Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa)
Boats available for rescue activities:
583
(According to NMDA numbers, 8 August)
Helicopters available for rescue activities:
41
(According to NMDA numbers, 8 August)
We have all talked a lot about this flood and the havoc it has wroght. But in all honesty I did not realize the full intensity of this event until I saw this picture below. The fury of the torrent (taken in the Swat area a few days ago) depicts what no words possibly can.
Let us close with one other picture. A picture that reminds us of the power of ‘one’, and of the responsibility of ‘one.’
Some of you may have seen this already. But look again, please. Look at the eyes of this mother. You will no doubt heard the unsaid message and that feeling of ‘be-chaargi’ – of helplessness – that is being felt by just everyone in Pakistan today. The only way to respond to helplessness is to help oneself. No one in the world will – or should – come to help us, if we do not help ourselves. So, let us please help the flood affectees of Pakistan. let us do whatever we can. Let us be the ‘one.’
Sheeda Talli’s Huffington post link on this thread was an eye opener. So, there is a *lot* of public opposition in the West to providing humanitarian aid for Pakistan.
In a very twisted way, the US has recently provided billions of dollars of aid for the military. Why not just retarget that money for the floods? What is needed for the flood is just of fraction of what we already get in foreign military aid. Also, retargeting money is not new – money to fight on the western border is often surreptitously retargeted to Kashmir, India, etc. So, the mechanism and precedence exists. Just that retargeting to humanitarian aid would make perfect sense now and no one can publically question it. Am I missing something? Would this work?
thanks
Ahmed
Well said, ATP. We have to be the ONE.
Thankyou for your leadership and for your humanity.
@Aamir Aziz
Zardari has pleadged Rs. 1 corore from his private wealth and Nawaz has pledged the same.
Lets see if you follow up or turnb around to be yet another Pakistani liar!
In the UK media:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/aug/10/pakist an-flood-international-aid
Pakistan flood toll rises but international aid fails to flow
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/anger -replaces-fear-as-cotton-belt-attacks-its-politici ans-lies-2049103.html
Anger replaces fear as cotton belt attacks its politicians’ ‘lies’
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/zarda ri-returns-to-floodstricken-pakistan-to-face-mount ing-criticism-2049102.html
Zardari returns to flood-stricken Pakistan to face mounting criticism
President accused of failing to respond to country’s worst-ever natural disaster as rising waters continue to cause devastation
Yes, self help when govt is missing.
Since America is in Afghanistan and asking for Pakistan to support what it is doing, it should be donating. On the other hand, its abilities have been revealed in Katrina’s wake and in Haiti. For aid to function you need government on the ground that is at least semi capable. In the case of Katrina state and local government (NO and La being renowned for corruption) were missing in action and Federal Government agency had suffered from loss of experienced personnel due to problem at the leadership level.
I was told by a friend in Florida days after Katrina hit New Orleans that all 3 levels of govt had failed. He had experience in many Fla hurricane efforts, so he knew what he was talking about. Years later a report said exactly what he told me right after.
Pakistan needs a federal emergency management agency and each province needs a disaster response plan and drills to keep the program fit for use.
Pakistan also needs to drudge its rivers. There is silt build up. Pakistanis also need to start rainfall harvesting programs. All these rivers empty into the sea and rains will be fickle in our global warming era.
Got this in my email today:
we have no control, public to stand and watch its decay. decedance has set in.
today nobody in the government talks about getting together in the assembly to put pakistan on two major fronts, relief programs plan and reconstrucion aftrer the relief programs.
pakistan now has to rebuilt again. the days of Mahajirs are over, the sons and daughters of soil will need to take over. lets see how they fare. so far, they have choosed corruption over reconstruction or building pakistan.
the disaster management has nothing to offer as they have no programs in place. when you have a department of disaster than you must deliver. there is nothing to deliver. citizen of pakistan are on self help basis. the establishment, bureaucracy has failed us in giving any relief.