Pakistan: Up to 6 million people affected by the floods

The UN has warned that up to 6 million people to be affected by "the worse floods in living memory". At the moment, an estimated 1,600 people have been killed. UN officials have expressed great concern over the 600,000 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa who seem to be virtually cut off from assistance. Bad weather is hampering efforts to fly in any aid.

 

Pakistan officials are estimating 12 million people affected including those directly affected by the flooding and those part of the economic damage in neighbouring areas. Skyrocketing prices for fruit and vegetables are being felt everywhere as a direct result of crops destroyed in the floods.

 

While Pakistani authorities face a mounting cry of dissatisfaction over the government response or lack of response in some areas, a political storm is brewing over President Asif Ali Zardari’s decision to not return home to deal with the crisis. He is currently on an official visit to both France and the U.K. Already, there are reports of questionable elements stepping in the take advantage of the vacuum left by this lack of government involvement and aid: Islamist charities with links to militant groups are providing help in an effort to gain legitimacy with the population.

 

One such group, Jama’at-ud-Da’wah, is known as a front for the banned militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba. While a spokesman for the group said their involvement was strictly humanitarian, authorities are concerned about recruitment to their cause.

 

The international community has pledged aid to assist an already overloaded Pakistani government in dealing with this catastrophe but the enormity of this daunting task means it will take months to firmly grapple with all of the problems. More than 252,000 homes are thought to be destroyed. 558,000 hectares (1.4 million acres) of farmland has been flooded. Electrical generation has been threatened by flooding and units have been forced to shut down adding to an energy crisis.

 

Unfortunately, more rain is expected as the monsoon season is not yet over.

Click HERE to read more columns by William Belle.

 

 

Wikipedia: 2010 Pakistan floods

 

Wikipedia: Jama’at-ud-Da’wah

 

Wikipedia: Lashkar-e-Taiba

 

2010-08-08