Floods & their aftermath

Dawn Editorial Pakistan hasn’t seen floods of this ferocity for nearly 80 years. The impact has been devastating with more than 1,000 people killed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa alone. Hundreds of villages have been swept away in Punjab while Sindh, which has seen so little water in its waterways for a number of years, is now bracing itself for a major deluge. It is tragic that we suffer miserably as a nation when there is no rain and yet can find no solace when the heavens open up. The experience in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Punjab has shown all too clearly that local administrations were simply not equipped to deal with a disaster of this magnitude. How the Sindh authorities will fare remains to be seen but no one should be pinning their hopes too high. Still, the province enjoys the advantage of an advance warning and it is hoped that the evacuation measures currently under way in the riverine areas will help save lives. The dead are gone and we can only grieve over that monumental loss. What is key now is that survivors and potential affectees are provided the best help that the state and international aid agencies can muster in quick time. Survivors, said to number nearly 2.5 million people, must be housed, they need to be fed and should be provided with clean drinking water. Medical help is also of essence for the most vulnerable, such as children and the elderly. Already there are reports of an increase in waterborne diseases in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and there is a danger of a major epidemic breaking out in flood-affected areas across the country. Yes, rescue operations are the immediate priority but the effort to help must not end there. People who have lost everything cannot get back on their feet by getting a tent and food for a few days (and in some cases even that isn’t happening). What is required is long-term rehabilitation: provision of food, healthcare, funds for reconstruction and, at the very minimum, fresh seed stocks for farmers. The state should not let the people down, yet again.