‘In the political tug of war it’s the poor and helpless that hurt the most’

Posted on March 3, 2011 by beenasarwar

Geet Chainani conducting a medical camp in a village near Dadu, Sindh

“I, an American, a New Yorker used to the harsh winter and snowy weather yet, I am freezing in Pakistan. My heart goes out to those suffering the cold winter without shelter, blankets, clothing. May God provide you with his soldiers to keep fighting for the injustices meted out to you. May we all be able to look beyond the differences and reach out a helping hand.” – Geet Chainani, Dec 15, 2010

My article on an Indian-American doctor who comes to Pakistan in search of her Sindhi roots… and finds a sense of peace working for flood-affected women and children, published in Aman ki Asha, March 2, 2011 (as another Indian put it – “not Akhand Bharat, but Akhand Insaniyat”) Continue reading →

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Donate a breeding goat to a flood refugee this Eid

Posted on November 12, 2010 by beenasarwar

Not everyone was able to save their precious goats (AFP: Arif Ali)

The flood waters are receding but the needs of the flood refugees and survivors remains enormous. Blogger Farrukh Siddiqui summarises the main needs in this post  How can We Help flood victims in Pakistan

Here’s another way to help them: donate a live breeding goat to help them re-start their lives in a sustainable way.

At least two organisations I know of are working on this novel idea: Pakistan Animal Welfare Society and Sadiqa Salahuddin’s Indus Resource Centre (IRC) which has a long history of working on education (especially of girls) in the Khairpur area of Sindh.
Continue reading →

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PMA briefing re floods: medical, social, health issues

Posted on September 19, 2010 by beenasarwar

Dr Sher Shah Syed. Photo: Jamal Ashiqain

ALL ARE INVITED

Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) information session:

Ø Installation of 21 water purification plants for internally displaced persons (IDPs): Experience; Hurdles;  Successes – Dr. Waqar Qurieshy, UK
ØLife in IDP Camps, Rehabilitation and Future – Dr. Shershah Syed/ Dr. Kiran Ejaz
Ø Plans for Rehabilitation & SOG – Dr Nighat Shah
Ø PMA Flood Relief Activities – Dr. Samrina Hashmi

Monday, September 20th, 2010,
 3:00 pm
 PMA House, Garden Road, Karachi (MAP)

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IRC’s Khairpur and Hyderabad camps: Eid report by Sadiqa Salahuddin

Posted on September 16, 2010 by beenasarwar

Eid distribution at IRC camp - Sadiqa Salahuddin (in cap)

Sadiqa Salahuddin, a dear family friend, has been working in the Khairpur area for over a decade, providing education to children there (mostly girls) through her Indus Resource Centre (IRC). Since the floods hit, they have turned their energies towards relief work.

Here’s an update from her, received this morning, about Eid, the festival that marks the end of the month of fasting, in the IRC camps:

September 14, 2010
Dear Friends,

Eid in a Tent City was a unique experience of my life. I do not remember seeing so many happy faces around on Eid as I saw this year. This might seem contrary to what we are hearing and watching on television about the deprivation and gloom among internally displaced persons (IDPs) on Eid. I have no doubt about media portraying realities but what I am saying is real too. A young journalist has captured Eid in our Tent City in Tribune. Please see this report Learning to say ‘I love you’ Continue reading →

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Transparency for Flood Donations – Isa Daudpota

Posted on September 7, 2010 by beenasarwar

From longtime friend, activist, media-watcher and accountability-demander Isa Daudpota in Islamabad:

Transparency for Flood Donations

Q. Isa Daudpota

Pakistanis and foreign donors recoil at the general lack of credibility of the government and other institutions when it comes to proper utilization of funds.  It is important that this perception is removed quickly if one is to move beyond the immediate relief funding for the flood, which will dwarf in comparison with long-term rehabilitation of people and infrastructure restoration. Continue reading →

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Personal Political: A flood of despair, a trickle of hope

Posted on September 4, 2010 by beenasarwar

About a fifth of Pakistan is under water. BBC graphic, Aug 25, 2010

Karachi, Aug 24, 2010 – my monthly column, written three weeks into the most devastating floods Pakistan has ever known, and shortly after India’s aid offer of $5 million to help flood-affected Pakistan, published in The News on Sunday (Aug 31) and Hardnews, India (Sept 1). India later upped the offer by $20 million.
Explaining the decision to the Lok Sabha (Parliament) on Aug 31, External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna said in his speech, “We cannot remain unconcerned with this grave humanitarian crisis of enormous magnitude in our immediate neighbourhood.”

PERSONAL POLITICAL: A flood of despair, a trickle of hope

Beena Sarwar

July 28, 2010 was a bad day for Pakistan. That morning, heavy rains led to a private airline plane crashing into the Margalla hills near Islamabad, killing all 152 on board. The rains also brought the most devastating floods in living memory.

That day, I and a few Pakistani water experts landed in Delhi for a closed-door seminar on water as an issue that causes tensions between India and Pakistan, organised by the Centre for Dialogue and Reconciliation and Aman ki Asha where I work. By the time we returned home on July 31, the floods had claimed 500 lives in northern Pakistan and left thousands homeless. Continue reading →

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Floods turn the world’s hottest place into an island

Posted on September 3, 2010 by beenasarwar

Ghari Kheru, Dist. Jacobabad, Aug 19, 2010.

A query from Lahore the other day about whether the town of Jacobabad was submerged got me on the phone with friends to inquire. Fortunately, it was just a rumour. But in the process, I got information that had to be used… hence this feature, published in The News today.

Floods turn the world’s hottest place into an island

Beena Sarwar

Jacobabad is famous for being one of the hottest places in the world with temperatures reaching up to 52°C in summer, April-Sept. This year, the unprecedented floods in Pakistan have done nothing to cool things down for this colonial town. Temperatures in Jacobabad district, on the border of Sindh and Balochistan, remain excruciatingly high despite floodwaters submerging surrounding areas.

Jacobabad area map showing flooded area in red.

The old town of Jacobabad, founded in 1947 by a British General John Jacob, is for now at least a virtual island, accessible only by boat despite its distance from the river. Gen. Jacob, commandant of the Sindh Horse for years, died and was buried here in 1858. Today the Victorian tower erected in his memory watches over an almost abandoned town. Continue reading →

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Helping HANDS – flood relief, reliable NGO

Posted on August 30, 2010 by beenasarwar

Medical camp, Kashmore

Health and Nutrition Development Society, HANDS, is one of Pakistan’s largest non-profit organisations, working since 1979 in the sectors of health, education, poverty alleviation, water and sanitation, infrastructure development, emergency response through social mobilization, advocacy & capacity building. Their work targets more than 8 million people from 14,962 villages in 18 districts of Sindh & Balochistan. These are photos from their medical camp at BS Feeder Band near Kandhkot-Kashmore district.
“These medical camps are supported by UNICEF. A German journalist also visited the camp through boat. Thousands of people are sitting at BS feeder surrounded by water. Access to them for any food, medical supplies is only by BOATS. HANDS installed few hand pumps, pit latrines and providing food and medical services through boats,” writes Zafar Ali Dehraj, HANDS General Manager, Social Mobilization, Advocacy & Disaster Management.

Contact HANDS Flood Response Center Sindh
 B-67, Street#4, Hamdard Coopertaive Society, Airport Road Sukkur, Pakistan.
Cell: (+92) 302-8222650
Office: Phone: (+92) 71-5633881
Fax: (+92) 21-34559252

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Flood relief: Turn the tide – personal note re KRT

Posted on August 30, 2010 by beenasarwar

Posted to my yahoogroup just now:

Dear all – I’ve sent out mails and postings about Karachi Relief Trust before – but thought this personal note was worth sending out again. One of their most important initiatives is the water purifier units (Pak Pani) they are supplying which may save thousands of lives. Please do take a minute to read it and do what you can. Every little bit counts.
thanks.
beena

Dear Friends:

I know you will find this email long but please read it and donate. Every little helps!! Join the Turn the Tide facebook page, and the KRT facebook page. Also, please see the KRT website at the end. It includes material on an earlier Turn the Tide fundraising drive for Internally Displaced People and will assure you that your donations are reaching those who need it the most. There is a video as well about the previous work. Continue reading →

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Fight The Flood – Bridge Our Divide. New blog.

Posted on August 26, 2010 by beenasarwar

Fight The Flood – Bridge Our Divide. New blog, check it out (via Wajahat S. Khan) compiling information about Pakistan floods, blogs etc.

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