Pakistan FLOODS: more expected - esp. Southern Sindh

Sakina, a flood victim, eats her meal while taking refuge in a makeshift relief camp in Sukkur, August 20. — Photo by Reuters

Affectees crowd
around an Army helicopter as it lands during a drop of much needed food supplies from the United Nations World Food Program to the flood encircled village of Tul in Sindh Province, Friday, Aug. 20, 2010. - Photo by AP.

MORE TO COME (highlighted editorial at Dawn Newspaper): The people of southern Sindh must not suffer the same fate as the rest of the country’s flood victims.

The first, furious shock of this year’s monsoonal floods has ripped its way through four provinces, wreaking devastation on an almost incomprehensible scale. Even as the country grapples with the post-flood spectre of disease outbreaks, food and water shortages and eventually land rehabilitation, it seems that the wrath of the elements has not yet been appeased.

Sindh, which amongst the provinces has all in all suffered the most flood- related losses, faces still more. The Pakistan Meteorological Department warned on Thursday that the second wave of the peak flood, currently passing through Guddu and Sukkur, will reach the Indus delta within a few days. The coming week is crucial for southern Sindh since the flood-waters will try to drain into the sea at a time when sea levels are already high due to the monsoonal effect, and there will be a full moon. The result may be that, facing resistance from the sea, floodwaters could be pushed back up the river, overflowing its already swollen banks and inundating low-lying areas. It is impossible to guess how widespread the inundation may be, but given the ferocity of the ongoing floods it is bound to cause further loss of life and property, particularly since continuing sea intrusion means that human settlements are now much closer to the water than they used to be.

At particular risk of being hit by the effects of the back tide are Sujawal, Badin, Gharo and Thatta which are home to thousands of people. There is still time to save these areas. Over the past fortnight, the lesson the country’s administrators ought to have learnt is that while land and houses could not have been protected, people, their valued belongings and livestock could have been saved. With the second wave still a few days away, we have time in which to address the looming disaster and show that something has been learned from past mistakes. The people of southern Sindh must not suffer the same fate as the rest of the country’s flood victims, particularly since there is still time in which to take precautionary measures.

See more related items constantly updating (with Comments) at Pakistani Premiere English New Source: Dawn.com here

Here are some important more local comments from a well-rounded, compassionate and reflective young blogger living in Pakistan -- For blog-site, Caravan of Light dot blogspot dot com who says the following are providing for the relief of flood-affected people:

APPNA, The Citizens Foundation, Developments in Literacy, EDHI FOUNDATION, Human Development Foundation, IMANA, Islamic Relief, Relief International, SHINE Humanity, UNICEF, Save the Children, World Food programme, International Rescue Committee, Oxfam, World vision to name a few. I think every organization is putting in their maximum effort. What I want to highlight are just two points:

1. As a nation, every Pakistani including me and everyone else should take care of the ones who need us, and we should KEEP helping them till each one of the affected people get rehabilitated.

2. Whatever resources we have, plenty or scarce, all of us need to ORGANIZE them and utilize them in a way that we get maximum benefit. e.g if I have 2 pieces of bread and for the time being 1 of them is sufficient for me, why not give the other to the one who does not have even 1 of it.

Regarding American people and people from all over the world, if for humanity's sake and for the sake of good terms Pakistan has been with the rest of the world, anyone is willing to help us out, I feel grateful for their help from the core of my heart.

The help can be in any form, direct or indirect. It can be in the form of volunteers, money, any items that are needed, or even to give due recognition and voice to the needy people in Western media. And many of the Americans and people from other nations are already on the field helping the affected people, and are promoting their cause as is evident from one of the articles written by Ethan Casey, here's the link here

And as far as American government and aid from them is concerned, I personally feel that although we are in need of money for rehabilitation and relief work, it would be better for them (and for us also) to provide the aid in the form of some 'Real' friendly gesture. Prosperous Pakistan is in the INTEREST of the WHOLE WORLD. (Caps oneheart blogger's)

...I feel Edhi is a very trustworthy organization with an excellent past record of working in the relief operations...Also I feel that who knows this problem may lead to improved relations between Pakistan and people of other nations (if not with their governments).
END of "Caravan of Light" blogger's comments

See Posts just below for more information and how to contribute through the
EDHI FOUNDATION...LINK for central site is here

EDHI Foundation VIDEO here