‘If you can’t help, at least let others do it’

The civil society has expressed serious concerns over the government’s silence on neither providing relief to the rain-hit population nor inviting the international community for their rescue and rehabilitation. At a meeting of representatives from different civil society organisations, including Strengthening Participatory Organisation Pakistan and Rural Development Foundation, participants criticised the silence of humanitarians, philanthropists and the civil society in Sindh on the serious issue and requested government authorities, welfare organisations and philanthropists to come forward and help the rain-affected people.
The data provided by Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) also came under discussion at the meeting.
According to the report, heavy rains and breaches in irrigation and drainage systems have devastated 20 districts of Sindh with more than 5.394 million people affected and 4.266 million acres submerged, including 1.590 million acres of agriculture lands. “The infrastructure, including 653,112 homes, has been badly damaged and the death toll has reached 108. The data of few districts is still awaited as the victims have not only lost their homes, cultivated lands and livestock but also they are not in a position to access food and medicines for their survival and health.”
The participants agreed that the current disaster is more critical in terms of damages, deaths and long term socio-economic impacts than the last year’s flood as rains have not only hit cotton, paddy, sugarcane and other crops in most districts of Sindh but also affected the densely-populated districts and severely damaged their assets – the only hope of survival for them in the future.
A resolution adopted at the meeting stated: “If the government feels its failure towards providing relief to the affectees, the authorities should approach the UN and other agencies to intervene through their partner organisations. We further emphasise that delays in emergency response may result in a serious situation, causing deaths by hunger and widespread diseases due to people being left without any help under open skies. It is the prime responsibility of the state and humanitarian aid organisations to provide relief to the effectees with immediate effect.”
The meeting was also attended by representatives from Civil Society Support Programme, Global Rural Development Organisation, Goth Seengar Foundation, Sahkar Dost, Hina and Nayha Disaster Services, Participatory Development Initiatives, Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child, Sindh Development Society and ARTS Foundation.