News

Friday, October 21, 2011   

Pregnant women in peril after floods 

GENEVA: The massive flooding that has affected large areas of Pakistan for months is straining humanitarian agencies budgets, stretched thin by falling donor contributions as economies weaken. Care International Thursday issued a plea for more funding despite the economic situation, fora particularly vulnerable group, and pregnant women. 

Geneva group notes, “Of more than five million people currently affected by floods in Sindh province, approximately 143,750 of them are pregnant women. Of these, 15 percent— or 21,562 women— will need medical treatment for obstetric complications.” Aid group says women and children need a range of services, from family planning to prevention and treatment of sexual violence, clean delivery services, emergency obstetric and newborn care. 

Care notes that to date only 22% of promised funding for emergency in Pakistan has come through, and situation is desperate.  ”Privacy’ is a serious health issue for women, particularly pregnant and lactating. They are trapped, exposed on roadside, and there are no private latrines. 

“The men can go anywhere, anytime, but women must wait until night-time, under cover of dark, and with darkness they are vulnerable to other abuses. Breastfeeding a baby must wait until nightfall if there is no appropriate shelter. 

Gynecological examinations and delivering a baby are further complicated by cultural issues. Female doctors or health visitors are in desperately short supply. Local hospitals are non-functional, treating only emergencies. Traditional birth attendants have also been affected by the flood – caring for their own displaced families. “Babies cannot wait for funding to be born. 

Deliveries are happening in roadside or waste-covered fields by unskilled attendants. United Nations estimates that 440 women in eight districts worst affected by floods in Sindh go into labor every day, 60 of whom may have potentially life-threatening pregnancy-related complications. CARE has six mobile medical teams, each with one male and one female doctor, treating 230-240 people a day, most of them women, requesting women doctors.” (PPI)

Neglected flood victims left to survive on their own 

KARACHI: While the floodwaters that inundated vast swathes of Sindh are beginning to recede after ravaging the province for more than a month, conditions remain extremely dangerous for the people living in the region. Already threatened by famine and disease, the plight of the flood-affected is being exacerbated by the incompetence and neglect of the federal and provincial governments, says a report by World Socialist Website. 

While the exact figure is unclear, the number of people killed in the floods has likely surpassed 500.The death toll had reached at least 465 by October 4, according to USAID. Nearly 9 million people have been affected, with millions of houses destroyed or badly damaged. 

The report quoted National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) as saying that around 30 to 40 people are dying from hunger and diseases every day. In Sindh’s heavily affected Badin District, at least eight flood-affected people died over the weekend, including two children. 

 Four people died at a relief camp in Tando Bago, a newspaper reported. A three-year-old child died from gastroenteritis and a seven-year-old girl drowned. Some 850,000 people are living in temporary relief camps, but the majority of the flood-affected are living out in the open. 

“Over 85 percent of the displaced are still without shelter and food and tens of thousands of others are without clean potable water,” said reports. 

Many have used wooden planks and plastic sheets to build makeshift shelters as they wait for proper shelter and desperately needed relief supplies. About 3 million people are in need of food assistance and medical care. 

Many of the flood-affected had barely recovered from last year’s floods, which affected over 20 million people and caused over $10 billion in damage. 

The receding waters have left stagnant ponds of water, creating breeding grounds for malaria-bearing mosquitoes. Contaminated water threatens displaced flood victims with diseases like cholera and hepatitis. People living in remote regions where health facilities have been destroyed or run out of supplies are particularly vulnerable. 

The ruined road network has made it difficult to reach these communities, which had suffered from inadequately developed and poorly maintained infrastructure even before the floods. 

At least 3 million children are at risk of malnutrition and disease, according to Save the Children. 

Over 3 million acres of cropland has been destroyed and one-third of cattle swept away, threatening the livelihoods of thousands of farmers. Three quarters of the cotton crop in Sindh has been destroyed, which will negatively impact on exports and may force Pakistan to import cotton to meet the shortfall. 

The floods are expected to increase the inflation rate to 16 percent and lower overall economic growth. Despite last year’s devastating floods and early warnings of heavy rain this year, Pakistani authorities failed to develop the early warning systems necessary to evacuate the flood-affected. 

The government has ignored numerous recommendations from international agencies, failing to invest in flood-resistant housing and construct barriers to prevent the spread of floodwaters. Local residents across Sindh have blamed government incompetence for breaches in the Left Bank Outfall Drain and other saline water drains. 

Moreover, basic repairs to the dike network have not been carried out since last year’s catastrophic floods. Millions of flood-affected Pakistanis have been left to fend for themselves, with many relying on support from relatives and friends for survival. 

The government’s unpreparedness and pitiful response to the disaster has infuriated working people across Sindh and Balochistan. 

The PPP-led government remains indifferent to the plight of the flood-affected, who are in immediate need of food, clean water, health care and shelter to avert a far serious humanitarian crisis. Last week 110,000 of the flood-affected received 20,000 rupees worth of assistance in the form of an ATM card, sponsored equally by the Sindh and federal governments. The use of an ATM card to distribute assistance where floods have destroyed much of the infrastructure, however, is simply an attempt to delay the withdrawal of even this meager sum of money for as long as possible. 

According to former National Disaster Management Authority Chairman Nadeem Ahmed, $56.8 million from last summer’s relief funds remain unutilized, with the government refusing to release the money for relief efforts. Aid agencies have cited the mismanagement of funds by the government after last year’s floods as one of the reasons for fundraising difficulties. 

“Many of the displaced are still living in precarious conditions, untouched by aid efforts. In some of the worst-hit districts in Sindh province, flood victims continue to go hungry,” according to the UN Refugee Agency. “With no access to clean drinking water or sanitation, many families are forced to use contaminated water sources.” (PPI) 

China to send medical team to Pakistan flood-hit areas 

BEIJING: Chinese armed forces will send 50-member medical team to assist with humanitarian relief work in flood-hit areas of Pakistan, China's Defense Ministry Wednesday said in a statement. 

The medical team of Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) is scheduled to set out on October 20, and work in Pakistan for about 10 days. 

The team will head to most devastated areas to assist Pakistan's armed forces by providing medical rescue services for victims and conducting disease prevention work, it said. 

Pakistani officials said nearly 7.5 million people have been affected by floods triggered by heavy monsoon rains in southern parts of the country in August-September. 

Crops on millions of acres of land have been washed away. 

Chinese government had previously donated emergency humanitarian aid worth 30 million yuan (about $4.7million) to Pakistan government in September. The assistance, which largely consisted of 7000 tents and a total of nine aircraft sorties, was delivered in two batches. 

In meeting with Pakistan Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar earlier this month, Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Liu Jian said Chinese government will also provide $5 million in cash to flood-hit country. 

China was one of first countries to announce and carry out relief aid to Pakistan after the flooding.

Sindh: flood-stricken areas still hub of problems

Khairpur: Sindh floods have curtailed the mundane activities in Khairpur. Flood affectees were marooned on roads after relief camps wrapped up their operations from the local schools.

Economic activities in various areas also dampened as roads washed away in floods while affectees are starving owing to severe food shortage. Floodwaters are not yet drained out of a lot of areas in Daadu and Nawabshah.

People of Nara, Faiz Ganj, Nehri including Kot Deji have started relocating from the low lying areas. Police line, Police complex and Department of health are still under water.

Moreover, due to absence of drainage facility ground routes are still disconnected. Breaches in saline nullahs of Badin have not been leveled yet.

Experts to discuss post-flood health issues

KARACHI: Pakistan Medical Students' Research Society (PMSRS) in collaboration with Microbiology Association of Pakistan is organizing a seminar on "Post-disastrous impacts on the health of flood sufferers," on Thursday.

Dr. M Iqbal Afridi, Professor and Head, Department of Psychiatry, Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Center, Sikander K. Sherwani, President, Microbiology Association of Pakistan and Fayza Khan, Vice President of Pakistan Nutrition and Dietetics Society will be the
speakers on the occasion. (APP)


Project to ensure employment for flood-hit 

ISLAMABAD: International Labour Organization and National Rural Support Programme (NRSP) have launched a project to ensure employment for the flood-affected communities in Sindh.

The project entitled "Cash for Work" has been launched from Badin and Mirpurkhas districts. 

A senior official at ILO on Wednesday said the project would generate employment opportunities for the flood affected people and would help in clearing the access to villages and healthcare facilities.

It would also ensure clean drinking water supply to the two worst affected districts. 

He said the employment opportunities will be in line with international labour standards as "no child labour and no discrimination".

The official said ILO's is providing financial support and technical guidance to NRSP so that employment could be offered to revitalize flood-hit communities of Badin and Mirpurkhas. 

He said since 2005 earthquake in Pakistan, ILO has positively responded to various crises that the country has encountered and added the ILO has generated more than 150,000 person day of cash for work, helped restored 100 kilometers of roads, trained 18,000 disaster affected people in new skills, and rehabilitated more than 4000 disaster affected children from child labour.

He said the ILO has also submitted a proposal in the United Nations Flash Appeal under Health Cluster for larger cash for work programme to restore healthcare facilities.

At the same time, ILO is approaching other donors to mobilize additional resources to further improve its response to current floods in Sindh province.

An official of NRSP said that ILO's technical and financial support will provide direct benefit to the flood-hit people in Sindh. This employment will help in draining the standing floodwater, removing mud and rubble to clear the access pathways to the healthcare facilities. (APP)

Meeting flood related challenges huge undertaking : Dr. Firdous

ISLAMABAD: Meeting the daunting challenges posed by the devastating floods on both socio-economic and human fronts is a huge undertaking and certainly beyond the capacity of any single nation.

This was stated by Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting while speaking at a reception which was attended by a large gathering of Pakistani community members and media representatives at Mubarik Centre, Sharjah, said a press release here Monday.

The Information Minister said that it was hallmark of the great nations that they face calamities with courage and fortitude and Pakistan's history witnessed and people of Pakistan have proved that they are brave nation and are fully capable to overcome all crises.

The relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction of the rain-hit people are no doubt such challenges, which require a joint international response since we need far more resources than we currently have. She called upon all expatriates and international community to come forward to support the flood relief efforts in Pakistan at this difficult time and contribute generously.

The Minister said that Pakistan faces external and internal security challenges, and a stable democratically elected government is necessary to deal with them.

"PPP's reconciliatory policy has allowed it to be successful despite not having a simple majority in the National Assembly, and having four different political parties ruling the country's four provinces," she added.

She praised the role of Pakistan Journalists Forum and its members in the print and electronic media in the UAE. "Media has to play a more positive role. Media can be our best marketing tool because the perception of the world about Pakistan is different from the reality in Pakistan," she said.

The Federal Minister said that it is the responsibility of every Pakistani to work for building positive and soft image and represent Pakistan as a peace loving and tolerant Islamic state. She said that freedom of the press was essential for strengthening democracy in the country and the present government has extended unprecedented freedom to the press which was not given by any other government in the past.

She urged the members of Journalist Forum to come forward in the efforts of the government in the fight against terrorism and extremism. She said that Pakistan Journalist Forum should remain above politics as involvement of journalists in the politics was not in the interest of the country.

Appreciating the role of the senior journalists of the forum in building Pakistan's image abroad, she advised them to remain more focused in protecting country's interest and projecting a positive image of Pakistan.

She said that PTV and Pakistani artistes will hold stage shows in various cities of the UAE to raise funds for the flood victims in the Sindh province.

The meeting was also addressed by Pakistan Consul General, Tariq Iqbal Soomro who highlighted the role of Pakistani journalists in the UAE and the efforts the consulate has made to facilitate the community in consular work.

Earlier, while speaking at a Hi-tea party the Minister urged upon the leading Pakistani businessmen to play their role in strengthening the economy of the country. She said that the present government has taken various steps for ensuring smooth and uninterrupted business activity in the country. (APP)

Speakers for effective food governance mechanisms

ISLAMABAD: The speakers of a conference on Monday stressed the need of having an effective and responsive food governance mechanisms to ensure equal access to food and to control high food prices in the country.

Addressing the event, organized to commemorate the World Food Day, they highlighted food and energy as immediate challenges faced by the country.

They said that it is time to invest in agriculture, devising strategy to import food commodities from neighbouring countries at time of higher food prices and to create strategic food grain reserves at national as well as at regional level.

This was discussed during a seminar on 'Food prices: from crises to stability' was jointly organized by Oxfam and Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) here on Monday. 

Executive Director, SDPI Dr Abid Q. Suleri recommended to invest more in agriculture sector adding that if it do not happens there will rise of unplanned urbanization involving urban slums due to lack of opportunities in rural areas and agriculture.

He urged to enforce effective mechanisms for food prices control at the local level and to deal with hoarding market practices due to fluctuating gaps in demand-supply.

He suggested import of food items at least vegetables from India as trade relations improve due to MFN status.

He also recommended free school lunch system in the public school which would ensure at least one-time nutrition food in a day to the children of poor families besides a through assessment of Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) to determine the effectiveness of resources invested in this initiative.

He also recommended skill trainings, micro-finance and connectivity to local markets for communities in Pakistan.

He also underscored the need of a local government system to control food prices.

Appreciating the devolution process, he however lamented that giving ministry of Food and Agriculture under ministry of science of technology would only improve technological aspects of ministry but not the food related issues.

He lamented over the shift from an agricultural economy to services sector economy bypassing industrial economy which requires highly literate, professionally qualified and skilled labor in contrast to agriculture and manufacturing sector.

He said that till last year 50 percent population was spending their 65-75 percent of income on food at the cost other social expenditures such as shelter and education and health.

He maintained that food deficiency leads to intra-house food insecurity among lower-middle and lower class families as priority is given to male breadwinners to keep them physically fit for family earnings at the cost of women, children and elderly.

He said that food deficiency creates low IQs, health risks involving outbreaks of diseases, malnourishment as populations switch towards less-cost food items or reduce portions of food items.

Country Representative, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Kavin D Gallagher talked about fluctuating food prices in Pakistan and across globe. He identified 2008 global financial crisis as real factor which increased food prices globally and also the relationship food prices with growing oil prices.

He said that Pakistan had bumper wheat crop last year in districts which were not affected buy historic 2010 floods.

The districts which were affected last year, and this year also have become food insecure, where farmers had become heavily indebted as they have to borrow to rebuild their houses as well as invest in agricultural inputs such as seeds and grains and restock their livestock.

Kevin was of the view that food storage is not only Pakistan's problem but rather it's a global issue.

He said that recurrence of disasters across the world have heavily dented the food grains reserves resulting in enormous increase in food prices.

He said that IMF and financial institutions through structural adjustments, have encouraged countries to move towards food reserves in private sectors, which further lowered the grain stocks throughout the world.

Kavin highlighted production and access to food, while talking about food governance in Pakistan. "Pakistan is a very blessed country that produces enough food and even exports it, but have severe problem of access to food."

He said some districts are producing excess food there is serious scarcity of food in some places. So, there is serious need to work on access to food for people, he added.

He predicted that food prices would remain high in coming days and there is an immediate need to create decent jobs that would increase the buying capacity of people to buy food at higher prices.

Talking of devolution of agriculture to provinces, he said that devolution is good initiative but there must be some mechanisms to protect Pakistan's interest at international forums, maintain price control in the country, satisfy food and agricultural needs in the country, maintain credible statistics and, monitor and control prices. (APP)

Three more couples tied in marriage bond in relief camp

HYDERABAD: The marriages of two real brothers in Sabzi Mandi Relief Camp Hyderabad led others to hold marriages in the relief camp as three more couples were tied in matrimonial bonds the other day at the at Tando Allahyar camp.

An ISPR spokesman informed here on Monday that Pakistan Army in collaboration with a social welfare organization Muslim Hands that arranged the marriage ceremony of these couples where Brigadier Ghayyasuddin was the chief guest.

The newly married couples also received gifts from notables of Tando Allahyar, Army and civil officers who also attended the simple but impressive ceremony.

The activists of various social welfare and NGOs lauded he efforts of Pakistan Army in rescue and relief work during unprecedented rainfalls of September last while the newly married couple also thanked Pakistan Army for providing opportunity of starting new phase of life.

Brigadier Ghayasuddin while speaking on the occasion congratulated the newly married couples and assured that Pakistan Army would continue its struggle till rehabilitation of rains and floods victims of the area.

It may be mentioned here that two real brothers of Jhuddo Town of Mirpurkhas district also entered into new phase of life after marrying with their cousins at News Sabzi Mandi relief camp three days back. (APP)