Pakistani flood relief effort gains higher profile even as it worsens

I have been watching the continued developments from Pakistan in recent weeks with a mixture of disbelief and horror. When large natural disasters occur, sometimes the scope is apparent to everybody almost immediately however the situation in Pakistan has unfolded over a near three-week spell now to become one of the worst natural disasters in recent memory.

There has been some initial criticism that national governments and aid groups have been slow to respond and understand the scale of the unfolding disaster, although it must be said that the extreme situation has worsened since it began at the beginning of the month. Listening to the radio this weekend, the overall hopelessness of the crisis is very apparent. As more and more land is being flooded the homelessness and difficulty in reaching those impacted is becoming ever heightened. The region affected is unimaginably large, with an area of land larger than England now impacted by the floodwaters. Rivers that were previously a few hundred meters wide are now as wide as 15 or 20 kilometers. As the floodwaters move south tens of thousands of new Pakistanis are impacted by the day. Seeking higher ground and safety while leaving behind homes that will no longer be standing when the waters eventually recede.

On a positive note, international governments and aid groups are now responding in a far more positive manner. In Canada commitment by the government to match all public donations between August 2 and September 12 has been met with great appreciation. The federal government themselves have committed $33 million to the ongoing relief efforts. House leader John Baird added:

“For every eligible donation by individual Canadians to Canadian registered charities and earmarked for efforts to assist Pakistan relief efforts, Canada will contribute equivalent amounts to the Pakistan floods relief fund”

Flood victims walk along a flooded road at Karamdad Qureshi village in Dera Ghazi Khan district of Punjab province August 21, 2010.

The same radio report I listen to this weekend via the BBC had an analyst fearing that the disaster may impact the country in a similar fashion to the recent earthquake in Haiti and the tsunami in Southeast Asia. The United Nations had earlier been criticized for not coordinating the requisite disaster relief which would match the scale of the difficulties being faced by Pakistan. In addition to the deaths of several thousand, more than 6 million Pakistanis are now homeless with that number looking set to grow, just as concerning is that the lands where they previously lived are temporarily at least uninhabitable. It is hard to determine why the overall scope of the disaster has been slow to unfold, though much is being put down to significant damage to the infrastructure of the country which in turn has led to internal communications being severely hampered.

I’m confident that the heightened awareness will now rapidly see both the public and international government support increase to try and provide aid for such a terrible disaster. The commitment to match dollar for dollar donations is very encouraging and hopefully can be replicated by other nations. It goes without saying that the homeless situation and lack of resources has rapidly led to a very severe health crisis within the nation due to sanitation and lack of food. The response of the world in these coming days and weeks will be critical in helping Pakistan through these dark times.

Please contact the Canadian Red Cross to donate to the Pakistani flood relief