Floods in Pakistan affect millions; U.N.-led relief effort lacks financial support
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/18/AR2016622_pf.html
By Colum Lynch and Griff Witte | Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, August 19, 2010; A07

UNITED NATIONS -- The United Nations will convene a high-level donors meeting Thursday to prod frugal governments to contribute more to relief efforts in Pakistan, where massive flooding has affected nearly 20 million people but where aid contributions have paled in comparison with previous large-scale disasters.

The sluggish response has underscored how difficult it is to mobilize international relief for slow-building natural disasters that, unlike tsunamis or earthquakes, don't instantly kill tens of thousands of people. It has also underscored the degree to which emerging powers, particularly oil-rich Persian Gulf nations and the new Asian economic powerhouses, have been hesitant to channel their wealth into the United Nations' emergency relief efforts.

The vast majority of funding for the U.N.-led relief operation so far has come from traditional donors -- principally the United States, Australia, Denmark and Britain. Many of Pakistan's regional allies and neighbors, including China, Iran and Saudi Arabia, as well as other developing countries, have sent only a trickle of aid in the crucial first weeks of the crisis.

"It's been abysmal, it's been terrible. There is no relationship between the number of people in acute need of help and what has actually been provided in this first month," said Jan Egeland, a former U.N. relief coordinator who managed the international response to the tsunami in South Asia in 2004. "We got more in a single day just after the tsunami than Pakistan got in a month."

The floods have killed about 1,500 people. That toll is far lower than the toll in other recent disasters, including the 2004 tsunami, the earthquake in South Asia in 2005 and the earthquake in Haiti in January. But the floods have left more people in need of food, shelter and other life-saving assistance than those disasters combined.

Many analysts have blamed "disaster fatigue" for the paltry commitment in aid. On Thursday, U.S. and U.N. officials hope to overcome that by emphasizing the dire nature of the situation and pointing out that the problems will linger after the waters recede.

The stakes are particularly high for the U.S.-led military coalition in Afghanistan, which fears that an inadequate response in Pakistan could destabilize the government there and undermine military goals across the border.

While money was slow to start flowing, U.N. officials said that they are roughly halfway toward meeting a goal of $460 million in aid. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, who is attending the gathering Thursday, is expected to announce an increase in U.S. aid to Pakistan.

The lack of assistance from Pakistan's allies in the Islamic world has been a source of frustration among the country's officials.

State media in Saudi Arabia reported Tuesday that the country had raised $20.5 million to support the Pakistani flood victims. But that was the kingdom's first significant donation, and it came three weeks into the crisis. Pakistan considers Saudi Arabia one of its closest allies, and the Saudis have in the past lavished money on charities and religious organizations in Pakistan.

Before the Saudi announcement, no Muslim nation had given Pakistan more than the $5 million donation made by Kuwait, according to U.N. records.

Pakistan's former ambassador to the United Nations, Rustam Shah Mohmand, said donors from the Islamic world traditionally prefer to work through networks of nongovernmental organizations and private charities, rather than through the United Nations or even the government.

But for Pakistanis whose lives have been destroyed by the floods, the paucity of aid from the Muslim world has been just one more disappointment.

"It is really sad that even our brother Islamic countries provide very little aid in this hardest time," Mohammad Usman, 58, said recently as he sat outside his badly damaged home in the northwestern town of Charsadda. "We expected more, but what we are hearing is nothing."

The United Nations has been struggling for years to convince Islamic countries, particularly Saudi Arabia and other wealthy gulf states, to direct relief money through U.N. programs in order to ensure a coordinated response. Some of the U.N. appeals have paid off. Kuwait, for instance, recently committed to put 10 percent of its giving to international organizations. But much of the Islamic world remains reluctant.

John Holmes, the U.N. emergency relief coordinator, said that Saudia Arabia, Iran and Syria have sent food, tents and other supplies to Pakistan, but the giving has been largely ad-hoc and uncoordinated.

"We've have been encouraging the gulf countries... to channel a lot more of whatever they give through the multilateral organizations, whether it's the U.N. organizations, NGOs or the Red Cross/Red Crescent movement," Holmes said.

Anemic levels of giving have not been limited to Pakistan's Muslim allies. China, which Pakistan considers perhaps its closest ally, had provided less than $2 million as of Wednesday.

Zar Ali Khan, a civil society activist in the regional capital of Peshawar, said Pakistanis are told that "our friendship with China is as high as the Himalayan mountains and as deep as the seas. But assistance from China, Saudi Arabia and the other oil-rich countries has disappointed us."

The United States, which has seized on the floods as an opportunity to help rehabilitate its tattered image in Pakistan, had provided $90 million as of Wednesday, making it by far the largest single donor.

There are signs that aid from the Muslim world might pick up. On Monday, Iranian state TV reported that the country's Chamber of Commerce has pledged a million dollars, and an influential Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Nasser Makarem Shirazi, said his office would give $50,000.

"As the only Islamic Republic in the region, we should be a model for the Islamic world," said Sarem Rezaee of the Iranian Red Crescent Society. "We should be kindhearted."

Witte reported from Islamabad. Correspondent Thomas Erdbrink in Tehran and special correspondent Haq Nawaz Khan in Charsadda contributed to this report.

Archbishop Lawrence Saldanha launches appeal to aid Pakistan flood victims
http://ewtnnews.com/new.php?id=1457
Lahore, Pakistan, Aug 20, 2010 | (EWTN News)

In the wake of catastrophic floods in Pakistan which have reportedly submerged one fifth of the country under water, the country's bishops have launched a joint appeal for Pakistani Catholics to contribute to relief efforts.

Archbishop Lawrence Saldanha of Lahore provided a joint statement from the bishops in Pakistan to EWTN News on Thursday, urging increased relief efforts and calling for a national day of prayer on Aug. 24 throughout the country.

Note: Archbishop Saldanha was serving as associate pastor of Precious Blood Church in Toronto, Canada, when he was recalled to serve the Church in Pakistan.[1] On 24 Apr 2001 he was appointed Archbishop of Lahore by Pope John Paul II. He is the Leader of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Pakistan On 16 January 2010, Archbishop Saldanha celebrated his Golden Jubilee as a priest, of serving his church for 50 years.

“Our country is facing the biggest natural disaster in history. The super floods of the mighty river Indus have brought death and wide spread destruction – over 15 million people have been affected,” and hundreds of thousands of homes “have been washed away by the raging waters,” he wrote. “We stand in solidarity with those who have suffered in this national tragedy.”

“What is our Christian response in the face of such an enormous disaster?” the prelate asked. “We are followers and disciples of Jesus Christ. He taught us that love is the most important commandment. To live as a Christian means to stand up and actively promote love, mercy and compassion, especially for those who are hungry and in extreme need.”

“In this critical moment of national tragedy, it is our Christian duty to stand shoulder to shoulder with our Muslim and Hindu brethren and face the common calamity with courage and determination,” Archbishop Saldanha underscored. “We your religious leaders want to mobilize our limited resources in doing what we can to alleviate the sufferings of the many displaced persons.”

“We bishops appeal to all our members to come forward and help the flood hit people with cooked foods or dry rations, and also provide tents for shelter and medicines against cholera and other diseases. Our youth are urged to serve as volunteers in relief camps.”

The prelate also called for a day of prayer on Tuesday, Aug. 24 for all parishes in the country. “If possible a Holy Hour of Adoration could be arranged when Christians will pray earnestly that the Almighty Provider may have mercy on us, forgive us our sins and failures and save us from further harm and destruction.”

“In the end we invoke our solemn Episcopal blessing upon our beloved motherland and wish it peace, unity and prosperity,” he concluded.

Floods in Pakistan calling Goans…
By Menin Rodrigues, Karachi, Pakistan
Email: menin100@gmail.com

August 24, 2010 - God’s wrath has befallen Pakistan. We are in the midst of a catastrophic disaster, one of the biggest natural calamities in recent human history. The devastation is so extensive that it has taken away an estimated 2000 plus lives, swept away a million homes, made 2.5 million people homeless and left more than 3 million hungry!

This is a global appeal calling the Pakistani Goan Diaspora in all parts of the world to read through this overview of the massive human suffering and displacement in Pakistan and make any effort possible to contribute towards medical supplies and other life-saving drugs. Your efforts may be channelized through various international aid agencies that are already working in Pakistan – Unicef, Oxfam, International Red Cross, Christian Aid, Mercy Corp., World Food Organization and others.

The people of the northern areas of Pakistan are quite accustomed to harsh weather conditions, heavy snowfalls, landslides, breakaway glaciers, hailstorms and the annual rainfall. It’s a way of life. But this year has been different, overwhelming and tragic too!

On July 28, 2010, bad weather forced a passenger airliner (Air Blue ED-202) to crash into Islamabad’s wooded area, minutes before approaching the runway, killing all 152 people on board. A week later came the incessant rains, the melting of snow-covered mountains in the Karakoram Range and the swelling of rivers that flow into the Indus and its tributaries – it has not stopped since!

Firstly, the flood waters ravaged through the regions of Khyber Pakhthunkhwa (formerly NWFP) destroying people’s homes and displacing thousands of rural folks to safer but inaccessible areas. A few days later the water levels in the Ravi and Sutlej rose to alarming heights breaching dykes and flooding the lush green fertile fields of Punjab, and finally entering Sindh to wreak havoc on the people of interior Sindh.

According to recent estimates (Wikipedia), floods in Pakistan have damaged an estimated 2,433 miles of highway and 3,508 miles of railway, 17 million acres of fertile crop land has been submerged, including over 700,000 acres of lost cotton crops, 200,000 acres of sugar cane and 200,000 acres of rice, in addition to the loss of over 500,000 tonnes of stocked wheat, 300,000 acres of animal fodder and stored grain losses. More than 200,000 livestock were killed in the Punjab alone.

The great flood, worst in 80 years, swallowed everything that came in its way, homes, schools, markets, bridges and roads, animals, settlements on both sides of river banks, crashing through dykes and roaring past barrages with speeds in excess of 900,000 cusecs’. The reservoirs at Tarbela and Mangla Dams and other smaller ones overflowed and suddenly, there was a cry for the Kalabagh Dam – a damned project since partition for no good reason.

Sindh has been perilously devastated, more than 35% of the province is inundated with water and the breakaway tide is threatening the cities of Sukkur, Jacobabad, Khairpur, Thatta, Larkhana and Hyderabad. Notwithstanding, the impending danger, the barrages – Guddu, Sukkur (formerly Lloyd) and Kotri – have to a great extent ‘saved’ the province from complete destruction.

There is an interesting piece of information about the planning and constructing of these famous barrages of Pakistan, formerly in the Sindh district of undivided India. These structures are masterful projects, pure engineering excellence considering the time and era they were built in. It is believed some Goans were involved in these projects and played a pioneering role in building these formidable salvos for the Pakistan of the future – and here we are today, the truth and reality is at our doorsteps!

Here is an excerpt taken from the book “Karachi – Megacity of Our Times” by Hamida Khuhro and Anwer Mooraj and published by the Oxford University Press in 1997 on the occasion of the 50 Years of Pakistan (1947 – 1997).

In the section on ‘The Founding Fathers of Modern Karachi’ – Chapter 5 (Page 126) the book reveals: “Mr. Cincinnatus F. D’Abreo (1856 – 1925) was one of the ‘Twelve Leaders of Sindh’ who lobbied for the government sanctioning and construction of the Lloyd Barrage and Canals at Sukkur. These plans to irrigate Sindh had been drawn up in 1912…the scheme was finally pushed through due to vocal Sindhi demands and completed in 1935 – it transformed the entire agriculture, trade and economy of Sindh.”

I am told there were some Goan engineers who worked on this project at the time of its construction, prominent being the Sindhi-speaking Mr. Frank D’Abreo whose name appears in the Lloyd’s museum in close proximity of the barrage. (Any known information on this subject would be welcomed with due credits at menin100@gmail.com)

Coming back to the floods, Pakistan is not geared up to handle such a major human disaster - it is of enormous proportions. Its magnitude in terms of loss of lives, property and displacement of people is more alarming than what happened during the 2010 Haiti Earthquake, the 2006 Pakistan Earthquake, 2004 Tsunami in the Indian Ocean and the 1998 Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans – combined!

Relief efforts are under way, scores of people (young and old), companies (local and foreign), non-government organizations, aid agencies, charitable & welfare societies and humanitarian groups, and thousands of volunteers are doing all that is possible. Political parties are also doing their song and dance. Road side collection of ration and clean drinking water, clothes, medical supplies and life-saving drugs, are a common site everywhere; neighborhoods have set-up ‘relief camps’ outside their homes, apartment blocks. There is concern and succor from the people of the country, everyone is shocked and doing whatever is possible but this tragedy is beyond anyone’s grasp – it needs serious global attention, yours and mine!

From a health perspective, children are among the worst hit, there is possibility of spread of an epidemic, diseases and water-borne ailments abound the camps. Malaria, pneumonia, typhoid, measles, skin infection, gastroenteritis, vomiting, mal-nutrition and diarrhea are being treated in thousands at medical camps spread allover in the flood-hit areas. There is an acute shortage of doctors and medical teams.

There is no civil organization in the country capable of managing the disaster or reaching the people who are in distress – it is difficult and therefore, nobody can be blamed. The army, navy and the air force are the only units that can reach people who are marooned – by boats, hovercraft and helicopters. In Sindh alone, it is reported that 124 helicopters and 43 C-130 aircraft are taking part in the relief operations. According to UN reports, 4 million people have been saved and taken to safer places and camps where temporary shelters have been erected, food is prepared and distributed; but there is chaos and commotion everywhere!

Politically, there is no sign of a unified command. Politicians are on a spree – it’s a plethora of photo-ops! More and more committees are being formed, each one making a plea for global aid, financial in particular! It has been slow by all counts; there is an apparent mistrust on where and how the funds will be used, both by the comity of nations, donor agencies and philanthropists too! Its bad news for Pakistan and its leadership, but there is God, and thus, there is Hope!

People, particularly in the southern province of Sindh, are traumatized, on one hand their homes have been swept away, cultivated land submerged in rising waters, crops shattered and they have no clue of the whereabouts of their near and dear ones. Everyday there is anguish and despair but they are defiant and will not loose hope.

Some villagers are staying behind, spending days and nights on dangerous rooftops, clinging to their meager belongings on tree trunks and branches, in the hope that water will recede and they would be able to start their lives again. They are scared but also want to stay back on their properties, their ‘homes’ – their only possession, and hoping that the Almighty will have pity on their plight and rescue them from damnation.

These people have done nothing wrong but ‘death, destruction and desolation’ has befallen them. Such is the mystery of life!

NDM-1 'superbug' found in Brampton hospital
http://www.nupge.ca/content/3507/ndm-1-superbug-found-brampton-hospital

Cases have so far turned up in three Canadian provinces.

Toronto (24 Aug. 2010) - Ontario has recorded its first case of the so-called superbug NDM-1, an enzyme that is extremely resistant to antibiotics. It was identified at the William Osler Health Centre in Brampton.

NDM-1 is found in most commonly in South Asia. The patient affected picked the bug while undergoing a medical procedure in India but is no longer in danger. No other information was released. Earlier cases turned up in Alberta and B.C.

The antibiotic-resistant bacteria have been found to date in approximately 180 people in India, Pakistan and the U.K. The bacteria has also been detected in Australia, the U.S., the Netherlands and Sweden.

Kenya has squandered 50 years, but there is still hope, Obama, Clinton tell youth
http://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/news/-/2558//view/printVersion/-/mdyydwz/-/index.html
By KEVIN J. KELLEY  | Posted Monday, August 16 2010 

Kenya was much on the minds of both President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in their remarks at an African youth leaders forum in Washington on Tuesday.

Explaining that he had organised the three-day forum with the aim of “helping to strengthen grassroots networks of young people,” Obama noted with a smile, “As they’re saying in Kenya today - ‘Yes, Youth Can!, Yes, Youth Can!’”

The 115 young Africans attending the president’s “town hall” meeting in the White House erupted in laughter and applause.

The two Kenyans taking part in the forum - Makena Kirima and Benard Akang’o, both 31 - said later they were impressed with Obama’s understanding of African issues and flattered by his frequent references to Kenya.

The US head of state went on to cite his own Kenyan roots.

“We’re going to keep helping empower African youth - supporting education, increasing educational exchanges like the one that brought my father from Kenya in the days when Kenyans were throwing off colonial rule and reaching for a new future,” he declared.

But Obama was not entirely positive in his comments about Kenya, saying the nation had squandered opportunities since independence.

He noted that when his father studied in the United States in the early 1960s, “The GDP of Kenya was actually on par, maybe actually higher than the GDP of South Korea. Think about that,” he urged his youthful listeners as he stood in the centre of a square formed by the seated delegates.

“So when I was born, Kenya per capita might have been wealthier than South Korea. Now it’s not even close. Well, that’s 50 years that was lost in terms of opportunities.

“When it comes to natural resources, when it comes to the talent and potential of the people,” President Obama added, “there’s no reason why Kenya shouldn’t have been on that same trajectory.”

Mr Obama also warned that Kenya faces the threat of violence from militants operating in Somalia.

“If you have extremist organisations taking root in Somalia, ultimately that can threaten the United States as well as Uganda, as well as Kenya, as well as the entire region,” he said.

In a speech at a separate event at the State Department, Mrs Clinton singled out the Ushadidi network “developed by young Kenyans to map reports of violence after the election of 2007.”

“This new network has been used by citizen election monitors to help prevent fraud and violence in Burundi, India, Sudan, Guinea, Namibia,” America’s top diplomat noted. “It’s revolutionising and empowering what citizens can do without permission, just on their own.

“We have seen the way that sophisticated mobile communications tools have also been used in Kenya to educate and empower voters in the lead-up to the referendum on its new constitution tomorrow.”

Constitution

Mrs Clinton told her audience, “A lot of the young Kenyans we invited were unable to come because they’re staying to vote and to work on behalf of the constitution.”

Ms Kirima and Mr Akang’o were able to take part in the youth leaders forum because they are both studying in the United States at Notre Dame University. Ms Kirima recently obtained a master’s degree in international conflict resolution, while Mr Akang’o is enrolled in the master’s programme on international human rights law.

The new constitution will act as “an anchor” that will enable Kenya to develop strong institutions, Ms Kirima said, noting that she hopes to work in a government department after returning to Kenya.