Following the monsoon rains all over Pakistan this year, began the biggest natural calamity of the millennium: floods. Affecting more than three hundred thousand families all over the country, causing more than twelve hundred deaths and thirteen hundred injuries, these floods caused more disaster than 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the 2005 Kashmir earthquake and the 2010 Haiti earthquake combined. There has even been a time when about one-fifth of the total area of Pakistan was under water. More than twenty million of the total Pakistan population is affected, making every one out of eight Pakistani the victim of floods.
Today, when the waters from most parts of the country have finally receded, the rescue efforts have abated, and the next step which is that of rehabilitation has started. With millions homeless, spending their lives in camps; with prayers for rain in their dry fields turning into fruitless prayers for its halt; with their homes, their fields, their belongings and their hopes too washed away by the waters; with just a simple rainy day turning their satisfied lives into a havoc, leaving them merely on the mercy of the social workers; it is the responsibility of all of the nation now to help our brothers in need. All crops are destroyed; transportation system has been wrecked; millions of cattle got inundated. From what the situation is now, it is feared that we might witness the shortage of basic food items like we never did before in the history of the nation. And that too, in the near future. All economic skeleton of the country, according to experts, has been ruined. The worst monster of inflation is to haunt us just when the dust gets settled. Therefore, it is the responsibility of all now to do all in their power to support the already fragile economy of the country, or the situation is turning catastrophic in no time.
But at the same time, instead of merely lending so many hands blindly, we need to have a proper planning in this regard as in what to help, where to help and how to help. There are some very basic factors in this context that dry food should be provided which neither needs to be baked or cooked. Clothing should be one that is according to the climatic conditions of the area you are visiting. Plus it is very unfortunate of us that some of us tend to send the type of clothing that’s untidy and torn. According to the representative of a popular youth organization, people pack torn clothes and send to them. “It’s not good of us if we open the packed gifts from others so we directly load it into our trucks and send to flooded areas but when they reach there we are embarrassed to see the kind of clothing people send. They are shabby, torn and ragged”, says Faizan Malik, a youth activist.
We need to handle the entire situation systematically. Once the work of providing a safe abode to the IDPs is done, in order revive them economically, first we should categorize different areas according to their physical “characteristics”. There are some areas where agriculture was main occupation of the inhabitants and on the other hand animal husbandry was that of the others. Similarly, there are places where acres of crops have been flooded and some where cloudburst has cost a large number of livestock, the only source of bread and butter of the people out there. There are town areas where infrastructure has been dilapidated and at the same time there are villages where preclusion from epidemics is the key matter to be focused first. This classification would help us to cover the gap between demand and supply and sending the “required products” to the “required areas”. Once the job of dividing areas characteristically and determination of loss geographically is done, now it is time for short term and long term planning for economic revival of these areas.
Even though it is not possible to recover the grave economic loss, we have to counter with in one go, but here again sane planning can minimize the burden. Whether it is an educational institute or a medical centre, a profit earning organization or an NGO, a small general store on the corner of a street or any individual of us – everyone has to play his part individually and in combination. And this should not be a mere statement; everybody should come up and put his efforts in a way that could be fruitful not only in short but in long run as well. Instead of giving alms directly to victims, we can assign some tasks such as embroidery, stitching work to IDPs women which not only would be a source of income for them but would also help them redirect their mind towards life once again. It would give them a hope to stand on their feet. Dress designers from all over the country have a big role to play here. And mind it: it is only a single example. There can be sited many other as well. “Ask people to help themselves. Instead of hiring labors from other cities, the flood victims can reconstruct their own areas, and get paid in response. Also set up factories in those areas and provide employment to them. Motivate them to work, start a new life, and not to depend on anyone else. Our country has already taken enough loans from all over the world; no need to give subsidies on any thing. Just give them their land back. This is what the authorities can do.” says Mehwish Shams, a BBA student who keeps deep interest in the economic situation of the country. “Now what the individual can do? Decide an amount of let’s say Rs.500 a month and contribute it for reconstruction.” she adds.
Instead of lending a hand to these unfortunates in the name of charity, donation and alms and hurting their self respect, something more apposite can be done more astutely. We as a nation can and should have to encourage flood victims by buying various products made by them. In order to boost our economy, we can and should buy home made products. Government also has a great responsibility on its shoulders to facilitate the cottage industry as much as possible.
Among flood victims there have been reported some respectful men who feel abashed asking for help. Whenever aid/food reaches they send their women and children to have a meal, but don’t come to have a meal for themselves. They feel it against their self respect. In addition to the government, well-off of our society also have to do a lot on their part. As opposed to donating to some unknown organization, they themselves should come forward and work for the betterment of these dejected souls. Taking an initiative, if they set up a small cottage industry after having feasible study in some appropriate areas, it not only can be a golden opportunity for such self-esteemed men to work and earn their bread and butter respectfully but would also chip in to the economy over all. And in this way, we can turn the tables. This disaster can turn into an opportunity as well, but only if we want. If we work together with devotion and determination, we surely can make this disaster first and last of its kind.
