Misery follows rain-hit families to relief camps

As miseries pile on rain-affected families in six districts of Sindh, civil society organisations on Saturday decried the government’s apathetic attitude towards the provision of basic necessities at relief camps. Hundreds of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the rain-affected areas of the province are furious with the lacklustre response of authorities concerned regarding lack of proper food, medicines and clean drinking water at relief camps, but their complaints are falling on deaf ears.
Sameer Mandhro of Badin-based Advocacy and Awareness Society (AAS) is critical of the government’s response. “The situation is pathetic and I fear the IDPs may resort to beggary. Poor coordination regarding provision of relief items to rain-ravaged people is resulting in unequal distribution, with some getting surplus items while most remaining empty-handed,” he said, while talking with Pakistan Today. “Disarrayed camps and mismanagement may lead to an uncontrollable situation. Demonstrations are being staged in the city on almost daily basis but the government is not taking appropriate measures to address the situation.”
Rains have left the people marooned at roadsides under open skies, while relief camps are ill-managed with no sanitation. People don’t even have water for bathing and congested accommodation with improper sleeping arrangements is further disturbing the IDPs. “What will these kids feel when they are being treated like beggars? Don’t you think we are creating a disturbed society? But we can cope with this situation with proper planning and disaster management steps,” said Mandhro. Several social organisations are busy in relief work as three neighbouring districts of Badin are also facing a similar situation. According to recent reports, water-borne diseases have broken out in several areas while skin infections are also on the rise.
Rain-affected people are braving epidemics including gastrointestinal diseases in areas flooded by rainwater. “I want to point out that the response of National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has also been very disappointing,” the civil society activist said. “Our team is collecting data from the affected areas to find out the magnitude of the losses and the corresponding response needed.