Out of the frying pan into the fire!

The flood-affectees of Jhudo in Badin district, who migrated to Karachi for help, have been repudiated by the people of Karachi. This story focuses on 77 families that migrated from Jhudo to Karachi with the help of Sindhi nationalists and took shelter in one of the government ghost schools in Khokhrapar No 4 in Malir Town on September 9. Labelled as Sindhi nationalists, the affectees were welcomed by cutting their connections of water, gas and electricity to force them to leave the area as soon as possible. Jhudo’s 400 residents, including women and children, were invited by philanthropist Shahid, said to be affiliated with a nationalist party, for shelter in a ghost school in Khokhrapar.
Abandoning their valuables, these 400 people left their houses to save their lives from the devastating flood. Bearing all the difficulties while travelling, they reached Karachi safe and sound, and on the invitation of one of the philanthropists, they took shelter in Khokhrapar. However, prior to their arrival in Khokhrapar, an ethnic group in the area disconnected the school’s supply of all basic utilities for fear that the people from Jhudo occupied their territory. Besides the area residents rejecting the flood-affectees, the Malir Town administration has also refused to provide them with any assistance.
“We have been living in this school building since September 9, but we have no electricity, gas or water here,” said Jhudo’s Yaseen Samoon, who has been living in the self-made relief camp.
Samoon said, “My four daughters, minor son and I came to Karachi seeking help from philanthropists in this time of need, but there is no one to support us. We are living without any facilities.”
He said, “We have made makeshift kitchens in the rooms and are using wood for fire in the absence of gas, but the smoke from the fire does not allow us to stay in the kitchen when we are cooking.”
There is no electricity in the school and the children are facing difficulties in the small rooms, he added.
Besides, Samoon said, there is acute shortage of potable water due to disconnection of water supply prior to their arrival in the school, which has forced the affectees to wander the streets and go door-to-door for water, but they do not succeed all the time.
Shahid, the philanthropist who turned the ghost school into a relief camp, told Pakistan Today that 400 people, including 100 children and 125 women, are residing in this relief camp.
“At the time we had suggested turning this ghost school into a relief camp, all basic facilities were present. However, when the affectees shifted here, the supply of all utilities was disconnected,” he said.
“The Malir Town administrator visited the camp after hundreds of requests and assured restoration of all utilities, but instead of sending a tanker of potable water, he has yet to take a step to help these people,” he added.
Shahid said no one in the area is interested in helping the affectees or donating anything for their relief because the people of Jhudo are Sindhis and the people of the area fear that they might occupy their land.
“I called some of my wealthy friends and they generously donated for these people, but the aid is not sufficient to help 400 people. We need to stop looking at everyone as Sindhi, Baloch, Punjabi and Pathan at this time, and help these affected people without discrimination,” he added.