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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Personal note: Flood relief in remote Kohistan, by Rashida Dohad

Posted on August 26, 2010 by beenasarwar

Agreeing on the process of distribution, Kandia Valley, District Kohistan. Photos: courtesy OAK Foundation

Distributing food in Kandia Valley, Kohistan

Below, a personal note of Aug 25, 2010 about flood relief efforts in Kohistan, from Rashida Dohad, who works with the Omar Asghar Khan Foundation (see website for updates, an overview of their flood relief efforts and photo gallery). As explained on the website, floods have affected 16 (nine severely) of the 24 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. “Many in need of urgent aid are difficult to access as areas are isolated due to road/bridge destruction/damage; and blockages due to landslides. The Foundation is initially focusing on the following districts: Nowshera, Charsadda, Shangla, Kohistan, Battagram and Mansehra.” Read on for Rashida’s account of their rather dramatic recent trip to the remote Kandian Valley in Kohistan: Continue reading →

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Four main camps around Karachi

Posted on August 26, 2010 by beenasarwar

On the side of Super Highway, children running after a Suzuki with relief goods (not managed). Photos: Yasir Husain

Received this information in an email from Yasir Husain, Karachi, Aug 24, 2010:

A C-130 from Jacobabad airlifted a group of stranded people to Karachi. These people are in a number of camps I visited in the Hawkesbay / Keamari / Manghopir area. One has 650 tents, and is generally secure and well catered for. The area has electricity and a tent hospital with beds.

Another camp close by is in a girls’ college on the main Hawkesbay Rd. The college was built by PPP government 15 years ago. It never opened or finished, but still gets additions. The refugees from upper Sindh housed here are being well looked after, but say they were never told that they were being taken to Karachi, or Mangopir. Ambulances and police are on standby, and district officers are on duty. There was an anti-mosquito spray at the college, which had a generator on standby, but no electricity. Continue reading →

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Volunteers needed – Karachi Relief Trust

Posted on August 26, 2010 by beenasarwar

CALL OUT TO ALL CITIZENS – WANTED: Volunteers to help with food distribution, camp management, data collection.

The Karachi Relief Trust urgently requires volunteers for camp management& food distributions in IDP camps in Sindh. KRT has already provided 4000 families with immediate relief in Nowshera and Charsadda and is currently providing food, immediate relief and shelter in the severe flood affected areas of Sindh. KRT has experienced staff in humanitarian relief and disaster management and is working around the clock to ensure efficient and equitable relief and rehablitation to those affected. We are now looking for a team of dedicated volunteers to help with food distribution, camp management, data collection etc.

  • Camp Locations: Shikarpur, Moro, Sakhrand, Thul, Sukkur, Ghotki and Jhal Magsi are some of the camps in Sindh.
  • Duration: a minimum of 7 days. You can volunteer individually or volunteer together as a group of 4-5 people.
  • What do we want you to do?: Food distribution, camp management, data collection, coordination with karachi team etc.

Accommodation and travel will be provided. Briefing and training will be provided to all volunteers before they leave.

For more information or to volunteer: Please email adoptacamp@karachirelief.org or moneeza.ahmed@gmail.com

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Appeal from Zebu Jilani (granddaughter of the last Wali of Swat)

Posted on August 22, 2010 by beenasarwar

Zebu Jilani (right) speaks to women in Swat, July 2010. Photo courtesy Globe & Mail.

The people of Swat suffered first under the Taliban, than due to army action and now due to floods. Inspiring to see their resilience and efforts to get back on their feet. See article in the Globe & Mail: A princess returns to the Swat Valley, Akbar Ahmed’s Huffington Post article Compassion in Taliban Territory, and email below from Zebu Jilani, granddaughter of the last Wali of Swat. Continue reading →

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Pakistan flood victims export tomatoes, not terrorism

Posted on August 21, 2010 by beenasarwar

Must read. Pakistan flood victims ‘have no concept of terrorism’. Mohammed Hanif on Pakistan’s 20 million flood victims – our “invisible slave army” that exports tomatoes, not terrorism, in BBC’s ‘From our own correspondent’. Includes link to listen to or download podcast.

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Updated: PIA offers Free Airlift of Relief Goods

Posted on August 21, 2010 by beenasarwar

Updated: PIA offers Free Airlift of Relief Goods thru its Domestic & International Network

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