PAKISTAN: Residents step up to help their countrymen made homeless and destitute by the worst floods in the country's history

Record ID: 342819

  • Title: PAKISTAN: Residents step up to help their countrymen made homeless and destitute by the worst floods in the country's history
  • Date: 26th August 2010
  • Summary: SLATE INFORMATION
  • Embargoed: 10th September 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Pakistan
  • Country: Pakistan
  • Topics: Disasters / Accidents / Natural catastrophes,Social Services / Welfare
  • Reuters ID: LVA3F0NQGRN9ILS8PVIGEQ666GGI
  • Story Text: Flood relief from Pakistanis, which was slowly trickling in, seems to have gained momentum.
    Local television channels have been showing hours of telethons in which Pakistanis in the country and abroad are donating money for the flood victims.
    Pakistan's top cricketers have also dug into their pockets to help the flood relief effort in their country.
    Players and officials on the national team pledged to donate half of their bonuses totaling $54,400, after beating England in the third Test last week, the Pakistan Cricket Board said.
    Ordinary Pakistanis, seeing the plight of their countrymen on television screens, are flocking to camps set up by political parties, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and even by families and friends coming together, to deposit money, edible items, mineral water and even plastic utensils.
    "The flood affected people who have come here need our help, and everyone should help them. We are four friends who came forward and took this step. We are not from any political party nor are we an NGO (non governmental organization), but we have managed to collect relief goods amounting to three or four truckloads, all by ourselves," said an unidentified young man at a relief camp in Karachi.
    Analysts say that the response from Pakistanis is much less enthusiastic than the response to the earthquake in 2005 because spiraling prices and rampant unemployment in the country have left very few people with the ability to dole out charity.
    Others blame the stigma of corruption on the government which is making people wary of donating towards any government-sponsored relief program.
    Pakistan's government, which has been accused of being slow to respond to the crisis, could face unrest if it fails to provide compensation for the loss of homes, crops and livestock and ensures that the economy doesn't suffer too much in the long term.
    Various political parties have set up their own collection points for donations where party workers and supporters are depositing relief goods. A local political leader Shoaib Bukhari thanked the people of Karachi for their generosity.
    "We are thankful to the people of Karachi, who have donated generously despite of the extra expenses in Ramadan and rampant unemployment," said Bukhari.
    Pakistan's foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has said more than $800 million has been donated or pledged to help Pakistan's flood victims by countries and donor agencies across the world.
    But according to the UN, billions of dollars will be needed for the rehabilitation of the millions who have lost all in the floods.
    Pakistani officials are in talks with officials from the International Monetary Fund in Washington, which has said it would review the country's budget and economic prospects due to the magnitude of the flood catastrophe.
    Islamic charities, some with suspected links to banned militant groups, have been more effective than the government in providing relief to flood victims, raising concerns they can take advantage of the disorder and hardship to gain recruits.
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