Number of the Day: 175,000,000

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.’