Severe shortage of food items feared

PESHAWAR: A large part of agricultural land stretching over 71,000 acres land has been affected by the recent devastating floods in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, creating fear of drastic decline in production and ultimate severe shortage of food items in the already food-deficient province in the near future.

This was disclosed by speakers at a daylong seminar on 'Flood Situation in KP' organised under the auspices of National Humanitarian Network (NHN) and Network for Humanitarian Assistance (NHA) at press club on Friday.

The speakers said that there was a dire need for carrying out a broad-based damage assessment survey across the province, as the losses were massive, adding that the magnitude of the destruction could be gauged from the fact that it had been reported that the rehabilitation process might take a decade period.

They added: "As many as 79 people including 23 women and 56 children are still missing alone in nine union councils of Peshawar district where 280 cattle heads were reportedly washed away by flash floods."

The speakers also expressed concern over lack of coordination and mismanagement among the government institutions responsible for provision of relief to the flood-hit people.

They said that epidemics were breaking out in the affected areas where nothing had been done for disposing of the carcasses of animals, adding that reports had already indicated the spread of cholera and diarrhoea in various flood ravaged localities.

The speakers also called for provision of at least 10 helicopters, 50 boats, 500 tents and life jackets to cope with the situation in flood-hit vicinities of the district.

Rakhshanda Naz of Aurat Foundation called for provision of relief goods to minorities on priority basis.

The participants also called for allowing welfare organisations for carrying out relief activities in the calamity-hit areas and provision of protection to the affectees.