Pakistan under Water

This year everything is different in Pakistan. This past August, the yearly monsoon rain that provides necessary water to people, livestock, and crops, caused an unprecedented flood. The regions life-force, the Indus River, overflowed its banks, and unleashed a wave comparable to

the force of a tsunami, which swept across Pakistan for a number of weeks. The wave crossed the northern part of the country, covering 2,000 kilometres, until it reached the Arabian Sea in the south. It swallowed everything in its way, and flooded fields, villages, and cities. Approximately, 20 million people lost their homes, and one fifth of the country stood temporarily under water. “The water was able to spread freely in all directions in Balochistan, Sindh, and Punjab, all provinces devoid of mountains or elevations. The land is flat as far as the eye can see,” explains Naseer Kakar, Johanniter Country Director in Pakistan.

Johanniter teams have been providing onsite aid since the beginning of the flood. Before the flood, Johanniter had been already working on projects in northern Pakistan, assisting displaced persons in the Swat region. “We had been supporting various health stations in the Peshawar and Charsadda region, which we were now able to utilize to help the flood victims,” explained Jens Schwalb, Head of Pakistan Desk in Germany.

Each day, over one hundred local employees work in 26 health stations throughout the North-West Frontier and Balochistan provinces. In

August and September, more than 80,000 patients were treated for skin infections, diarrhoea, and respiratory illnesses. Expecting women and young mothers also received care, as did malnourished children. In addition, local

workers also held awareness courses.

In the Sindh and Balochistan regions, Johanniter distributed tents, clothing, water canisters, chlorine tablets, and urgently needed consumer goods. These regions alone recorded over a quarter million homeless people. Naseer Kakar reported the following from the flooded region: “The extent of the disaster is

unimaginable. People wait atop rubble that once constituted their home, or sit by the roadside begging for water and food.”

In the North, the water has since drained away, but large parts of the southern provinces still remain flooded. It is unknown, when or if the waters will recede, and the after-effects are still unpredictable. The fields, streets, and villages

throughout the North are covered with a thick layer of sludge, and the United Nations warns of a pending famine. At present, the land should be farmed in preparation for next year’s harvest, but fields and seeds have been destroyed.

Johanniter is well prepared to provide ongoing emergency assistance in the coming weeks and months. “Due to the large number of victims in the disaster area, our team will continue to offer and expand emergency aid measures on a

national level,” explains Jens Schwalb. Plans are also underway to support the rebuilding efforts following the emergency assistance phase.

“We plan to aid various villages in their rebuilding efforts,” explains Schwalb. “At the same time, we will also repair or replace damaged or destroyed health stations.” According to Schwalb, the scope of the project is contingent upon the following: “The amount of donations we receive for Pakistan determines the extent of our assistance.”