Japan came to the rescue of 2.5 million rain- and flood-hit people of Sindh – facing the possibility of death by starvation – by donating $17 million before October 10, a date by which, according to the United Nation (UN) Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the disaster-hit population was going to run out of food stocks.
Briefing journalists on September 29 at the UN OCHA relief camp in Sanjhoro, a taluka of Sanghar district, Fawad Hussain – who is heading OCHA operations in the province – had said that 5.44 million people in province had become homeless following rains and the UN is providing food to 50,000 affected people, but stocks would exhaust on October 10 due to low funding and donations by UN member states.
However, Japan came forward and injected $17 million to cater to the food requirements of calamity-stricken people of eight worst-hit districts.
Explaining reasons for poor response from the UN member states, Hussain said the disinterest could be stemming from the fact that Pakistan has faced three major disasters in recent years – the earthquake in 2005 and floods in back-to-back years.
However, he pointed out the international community has also taken into account that the provincial government failed to act on last year’s flood commission report, which identified loopholes in the irrigation system.
“Last year, the right bank of the Indus River was affected due to riverine flooding, but this year left bank of the river was affected due to heavy rains. It has become difficult for the UN to convince member states to donate due the continuous disasters and snail-paced efforts of the Pakistani government in coping up with these situations,” he said.
Speaking to Pakistan Today, UN OCHA Humanitarian Affairs Officer Dr Salman Safdar said between $3 million and $5 million out of Japan’s donation of $17 million would be used to meet food requirements during the month of October.
“The UN had appealed for $357 million from member states for the rain- and flood-hit people of Sindh, but only $58 million have been received so far,” he added.
“This sum includes the UN’s own $17 million and the USAID’s $24 million.”
He said that additional $299 million are needed to help the 5.44 million people of the province.
