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                        <title>The Express Tribune</title>
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                        <description>The Express Tribune keeps you up to date with all the latest happenings from Pakistan and across the world!</description>
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			<title>Technology in disaster relief and aid</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/210392/technology-in-disaster-relief-and-aid</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/210392/technology-in-disaster-relief-and-aid#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 15 Jul 11 16:57:59 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[tariq.malik]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
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				<![CDATA[It would have been impossible to roll out a mass smart card solutions had NADRA not produced 85 million ID cards.]]>
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				<![CDATA[A study of the 2010 flood in Pakistan, juxtaposed with disasters in other parts of the world, makes one realise the nature and magnitude of the calamity and puts in perspective the effort required to resolve it. If one considers the number of those affected, the flood of 2010 was even bigger than the tsunami of December 2004 that struck Indonesia, India and Thailand. Around 2.2 million people were affected by the latter whereas, according to government figures, the flood affected over 20 million people.

Since it possesses a massive multi-biometric citizens’ database (as of now, 85 million ID cards have been issued), it was logical for the government to task the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) to come up with a solution for dispensing cash aid to the flood victims.

There were problems with systems implemented after the Haiti earthquake and the tsunami of 2004. To my surprise, NADRA’s effort in using its database for those displaced by the successful military operation in Swat and Malakand was a role model for the world. The authority had distributed Rs10 billion to 400,000 IDPs and this was done using biometric technology. Similarly, another cash assistance programme based on ‘smart card’ technology, which became very popular in World Bank and UN circles, is the one being used for the Benazir Income Support Programme. Each eligible beneficiary is entitled to a chip-based smart card which can be used at partner shops to withdraw cash assistance. Powered by the authority’s database, this system has practically no chance of being abused.

It would have been impossible to roll out smart card solutions en masse had the authority not produced 85 million ID cards. Both these programmes reflect a new trend in the world that one would call ‘data democratisation’. Good governance requires great transparency in public data, public confidence in the integrity of such data and requires that the data be delivered to policymakers in a quick and efficient manner.

The idea was to make the procedure as simple as possible so that aid could be dispensed to those who needed it most. The provincial government determines certain areas as flood-affected and then NADRA extracts a list of the heads of families living there, which are transmitted to a partner bank, which in turn opens a virtual account in the beneficiary’s name. The latter is then issued a Watan card from partner banks after some multi-biometric checks involving verification of finger prints and facial recognition. Some validation checks are also applied on the database to ensure transparency.

The operation started in August 2010 and till the writing of this article a total of 1,686,168 such cards had been distributed. In an increasingly digital global economy, governments need to use biometric technology in tandem with information technology solutions for the management of crises such as floods. It’s time to recognise the fact that democratisation of data in this fashion needs to be given priority because it has the potential to become a strategic asset for the government.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 16th, 2011.]]>
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			<title>Japan to provide $3.48 million to Pakistan for flood warning system</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/210325/japan-to-provide-3-48-million-to-pakistan-for-flood-warning-system</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/210325/japan-to-provide-3-48-million-to-pakistan-for-flood-warning-system#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 15 Jul 11 08:42:54 +0500</pubDate>
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			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=210325</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Flood forecasting system using satellite-based rainfall data will be installed in Pakistan’s government agencies.]]>
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				<![CDATA[Japan will grant assistance of about US $3.48 million for a project for strengthening flood warning and management capacity of Pakistan.

The official notes for this project were signed and exchanged on Tuesday between Hiroshi Oe, Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan and Dr Kozue Kay Nagata, Representative of UNESCO in Pakistan.

In the project, flood forecasting system using satellite-based rainfall data will be installed in Pakistan’s government agencies such as Pakistan Metrological Department, Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPPARCO) and Federal Flood Commission.

The system “Integrated Flood Analysis System (IFAS)”, has been developed by a Japanese research institute called the International Centre for Water Hazard and Risk Management (ICHARM), for more effective and efficient flood forecasting in the developing countries where enough ground-based rainfall data cannot be ensured.

Additionally, ICHARM will conduct training for the staff members of the agencies concerned to utilize JFAS and convey flood warning to the residents of the Indus River basin.

Through this project Pakistan will strengthen the capacity of flood forecasting and hazard map-making in the Indus River basin so that loss of lives and properties from floods in the future can be reduced significantly and the residents of the flood hazard areas can live in peace even in the monsoon season, said a statement issued.

At the signing ceremony, the Japanese Ambassador hoped that Japan and Pakistan, each affected by unprecedented disasters, would be able to realize reconstruction as soon as possible through mutual support and encouragement.

He further hoped that the knowledge of disaster management would be shared by the two countries, enabling them to work together to build disaster-resistant nations that can better protect the well-being of the respective countries.]]>
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			<title>Flood-prone areas identified: Disaster-hit areas face fresh flood threat</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/210188/flood-prone-areas-identified-disaster-hit-areas-face-fresh-flood-threat</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/210188/flood-prone-areas-identified-disaster-hit-areas-face-fresh-flood-threat#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 15 Jul 11 04:45:09 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[maha.mussadaq]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=210188</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Villages in Sindh, Punjab and Azad Kashmir already under water.]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[As the monsoon cycle begins in Pakistan, areas across the country have been identified as being at risk of being hit by floods once again –  some have already been inundated.


The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) has stated that floods have been predicted to occur as early as July 15 if the water level in River Swat rises.

The PDMA has identified areas such as Kalam, Balakot, Uthror, Bahrain and Mankyal in Upper Swat at high risk of being inundated. These areas were hit by floods last year and will become inaccessible if the floods recur this year. An estimated displacement of some 20,000 people is expected in Charsadda and 25,000 people in Nowshera this year. Earlier, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) held a press conference revealing that approximately 20 million people are likely to be affected if faced with a disaster identical to last year’s.

Although Chairman NDMA Zafar Qadir reflected confidence in the preparedness of the government to respond to the challenges, at the same time he was uncertain about the scale of the disaster.

Floods begin, yet again

The PDMA also revealed that areas in Muzafarghar and Layyah which were one of the worst-hit locations last year are already experiencing early flooding.

According to officials from Oxfam, floods have already hit Ghorki disctrict in Sindh where more than 100 villages have been inundated.

In many areas of the country, floods have already forced communities to evacuate and have drowned crops for the second year running.

Officials have stated that residents of the Ghotki district have started migrating to safer havens, while crops have been damaged for the second time.

“One year on after the mega floods of 2010, Pakistan and its people are still struggling. With the onset on monsoon rains, the rebuilding of damaged dykes and embankments is still not finished. That puts vulnerable communities at risk of fresh flooding,” Javeria Afzal, programme manager for disaster risk reduction and climate change, Oxfam, told The Express Tribune.

In Punjab, there is currently three to four feet of water standing in the villages, while floods have also cut off many villages in Rangpur.

Broken structures stand as reminders of what happened last year in district Layyah – one of the many villages in Punjab that has still not fully recovered from last year’s floods. Oxfam field officers said that some families are still living in shelters and have no means of earning a livelihood. Moreover, the people of this village were not warned of the floods last year, and therefore, lost most of their belongings.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, July 15th, 2011.]]>
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			<title>Flood preparations: Rescue familiarising with conditions</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/209977/flood-preparations-rescue-familiarising-with-conditions</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/209977/flood-preparations-rescue-familiarising-with-conditions#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 14 Jul 11 23:28:28 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[express]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=209977</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[High grounds being identified in Rahim Yar Khan for relief work, work underway on flood plan.]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[Ten Rescue 1122 teams on Wednesday visited low-lying areas in Rahim Yar Khan to inspect the topography and identify suitable sites for setting up relief camps in case of a flood.


The visit follows provincial government’s decision to transfer flood relief and rescue operations from Civil Defence Department to Rescue 1122.

Rescue officials said more such visits would be arranged in the coming days to familiarise the relevant officials with the region.

Forty Rescue officials were accompanied by representatives of district administration, several non-governmental organisations and National Rural Support Programme on Wednesday’s visit.

District Emergency Officer Dr Abdul Sattar Babur said the teams visited river embankments and inspected the repair work underway at several dykes. He said more such visits would be organised in the coming days to finalise a flood relief plan. He said Rescue 1122 would work in cooperation with district administrations, NGOs, NRSP and International organisations.

Babur said a part of the planning was identifying the routes for efficient evacuation from low-lying areas and sites for setting up relief camps.

He said the priority at present was to repair dykes. He said dykes had already been worn out when floods struck the region last year. After the flood, he said, they further weakened and needed immediate repairs. He said more Rescue officials would visit the same sites.

On Wednesday, Rescue teams visited Chachran Sharif, Head Hajipur, Ahsanpur, Hamidpur, Habibpura, Dera Musheer, Abadpur and Dolatpur areas. Rescue teams also organised mock relief operations in these areas. District Social Welfare Officer Yasin Baloch and Rescue 1122’s Dr Aqil Rahman watched these exercises.

Briefing media about its preparations for the flood season, the Health Department on Wednesday announced that it had secured medicines worth Rs3 million for flood relief operations.

A Health Department team examined the stock along with the district coordination officer, Qazi Ahmed Javed, on Wednesday. Executive district officer (Health) Muhammad Jameel said the stock was sufficient to take care of 500,000 people.

He said the department had also arranged 19 ambulances for relief work. He said 23 teams of doctors and paramedical staff had been directed to stand by for any emergency.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 15th, 2011.]]>
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			<title>Gilgit-Baltistan: Memories of 2010 keep the fear alive</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/209501/gilgit-baltistan-memories-of-2010-keep-the-fear-alive</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/209501/gilgit-baltistan-memories-of-2010-keep-the-fear-alive#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 14 Jul 11 07:22:39 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[shabbir.mir]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=209501</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Gilgit-Baltistan government had estimated losses worth Rs12 billion.]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[Residents say flood waters might sweep their villages again. Locals are apprehensive about the reconstruction work in the area and complain that nothing has been done to prevent a disaster like last year, when around 350 villages were devastated in Gilgit-Baltistan. Around 950 kilometer (KM) of road network, livestock, standing crops, hundreds of irrigation channels, 180 bridges and nearly 14,000 houses were destroyed in what is said to be the worst flood in the living history of the region. Around 200 people died in the disaster.


The Gilgit-Baltistan government had estimated that they had suffered losses worth around Rs12 billion.

“It has been one year since the floods wrecked havoc in Gilgit-Baltistan, but the government is indifferent to people’s woes. Nothing has been done to restore the infrastructure or compensate for other losses,” said Ahmed Khan, an opposition leader of the Gilgit-Baltistan legislative assembly.

Khan said the government has no plan on how to protect people if the floods hit again. He said the bridges, water channels and roads are yet to be rehabilitated as people are living in temporary houses constructed by non-governmental organisations. “Look at the Gaise valley where people are still living in tents,” he said.

More than 50 people had died in Gaise valley of district Diamer after lightening struck the valley in August 2010. “The lone bridge of the valley was swept away by the floods, but, as of today, it has not been restored,” said Jamil Ahmed, a resident of Gaise.

Similarly the bridge of Bunji has not been replaced and people face immense difficulties in crossing the river.

Although non-governmental and other charity organisations extended their support, most of the rehabilitation work in G-B suffered due to lack of government funding.

“I think the biggest handicap was the lack of funds with the government throughout this period,” said a government official requesting anonymity.

The floods had washed away several water channels in Gilgit, disrupting power supply units at Jaglote Goro, Naltar and Kargah. The units have not been repaired due to facing a shortage of funds the department.

Although embankments have been reconstructed along the Gilgit River, residents say that they are too small to resist floods similar to that of last year.

“I am not sure if these protective walls will be able to prevent the water from entering our village,” said Naseeb Khan, a resident of Basin where dozens of houses had submerged in floods, forcing people to take shelter in makeshift houses constructed by NGOs like the Red Crescent society, Focus and World Food Organisation.

On the contingency plan for the year, a senior government official Mohammad Usman said people from more than 100 vulnerable areas will be moved to safer places in case a flood-like situation occurs once again this year / 2011. He said that police will be deployed in 106 places so that people can be evacuated on time. “The relevant people have also been provided training for relief and rescue,” he said.

Another official in the Gilgit-Baltistan disaster management authority said: “We have given Rs9 million to the heirs as death compensation in Gilgit-Baltistan,” he said, adding that at least 15,000 families affected by the floods have been supported through Watan Cards so far.

Chief Minister Mehdi Shah has said that $110 million were allocated for flood-related construction.

 

 

 

Published in The Express Tribune, July 14th, 2011.]]>
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			<title>Balochistan: With little progress, thousands remain in relief camps</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/209515/balochistan-with-little-progress-thousands-remain-in-relief-camps</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/209515/balochistan-with-little-progress-thousands-remain-in-relief-camps#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 14 Jul 11 07:15:06 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Shezad Baloch]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Balochistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=209515</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Government says only immediate problems have been overcome.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[A year on, families from Nasirabad division, one of Balochistan’s worst flood-hit areas, continue to crowd relief camps in other parts of the province.


As many as 20,000 displaced people are still living in shelter homes that were set up by non-governmental organisations in the aftermath of the 2010 flashfloods that ravaged a province already battling illiteracy, poverty and militancy.

The Balochistan government had declared as many as 13 districts of the province as calamity-hit in 2010 and flood water has receded from most of these affected areas, officials say.

“Rehabilitation will take longer than rescue operations, which the government had managed to complete on its own. But repairing the province’s damaged water channels and drainage system will take a while,” says provincial government spokesperson MPA Rahela Durrani.

Repatriating displaced people will also take a long time, she admits. “Many people have been resettled but a large number of them are still living in shelter homes in Nasirabad division.”

Infrastructure reconstruction

The Balochistan government has financed most of the work completed so far and has been instrumental in securing additional funding.

According to provincial government sources, it has spent Rs84.5 million to temporarily restore breached portions of the Pat Feeder and Kirthar canals, which are essential for regulating the province’s irrigation supplies.

Irrigation department additional secretary Khudadad Khajak said that the Kirthar Canal was breached at 133 points. Eighty of these breaches have been plugged, ensuring expedient release of water in the canal, while they are still working on the remaining 53. Rabi Canal in Nasirabad was breached at 35 points, which have all been repaired. The drainage network in Jaffarabad was breached at 156 points, 128 of which have been plugged, irrigation officials claim.

Deputy Chairman of the Senate Mir Jan Muhammad Jamali, who is a prominent landlord of Usta Mohammad which depends on the Kirthar Canal for water supply, appeared dissatisfied over the pace of work to resume cultivation. He also seemed unhappy over the speed of rehabilitation work on the canal’s Sindh portion. “This is the first time that Balochistan experienced flooding at such a scale. So the administration was caught completely off-guard,” he says. “The flooding caused extensive me damage to Balochistan’s green belt and the Rabi crop was completely lost.”

In northwestern Balo-chistan, Kirthar Canal is the sole supplier of water for human consumption as well as agricultural needs, he says.

Monetary compensation

Durrani says that a total of Rs2.5 billion have been provided to flood-affected people in Balochistan so far. Rs1.25 billion each have been paid by the provincial and federal governments. Members of the Balochistan Assembly have also contributed Rs323,000 through Public Representative Programme (PRP) funds.

Looking forward

But problems abound, and administration officials are aware of that.

“So far, the government has succeeded only in its efforts to overcome immediate problems like water channels, rehabilitation and reconstruction of roads and plugging of canal breaches,” Durrani says.

She said that the provincial government was working on a plan whereby Rs80,000 will be provided to each affected family to prod them back into normal life.

The irrigation department also seems to have learnt from the experience. “We have made estimates and included proposals to strengthen the irrigation system to avoid breaches should there be flooding in the future,” the official said.

The department has also made a proposal worth Rs4.9 billion for restoration of the canal and the drainage system in order to increase their capacity as well as that of other irrigation infrastructure in the province.

He said the canal system will be restored before water is needed for the Kharif season, which began at the end of May and will end in September.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, July 14th, 2011.]]>
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			<title>Flooded with memories: No stranger to destruction</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/209479/flooded-with-memories-no-stranger-to-destruction</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/209479/flooded-with-memories-no-stranger-to-destruction#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 14 Jul 11 07:13:36 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[sarfaraz.memon]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sindh]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=209479</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[The ‘River King’ has taken a lot from this village, but last year’s flood swept away the ancestral graveyard.]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[The River King has destroyed our village six times, says Jam Hamzo Chachar. In his late 80s, Jam Hamzo has seen a lot of devastation in his long life. The “River King” has been unkind to his village, established by his ancestors 400 years ago many times before.


But in 2010, the king was at its cruellest. The flood swept away the ancestral graveyard one kilometre away from the village.

Jam Hamzo points at the neem and pipal trees. “The water was as high as the trees.” As the water receded, appalled villagers saw skeleton pieces hanging from the trees. “The graveyard is 400 years old, just like our village. They were our elders,” he says, his voice quivering.

Recalling August 7 last year, when the Tori Bund gave in to the tremendous pressure of the mighty Indus, Jam Hamzo says the villagers informed the irrigation officials of the situation on August 6. “We told them to be on high alert, but they did not pay any attention.”

The villagers moved to the embankment at midnight, in a desperate attempt to save the bund. But on the evening of August 7, the Tori lost the battle to the “River King”.

“Our village was the first to brave the wrath of the river - like always - and then other villages including Qayas Bhayo, Hamid Malik, Durrani Mahar, Haji Dost Mohammad Sabzoi were inundated.” People say the Tori bund was breached deliberately. To that, Jam Hamzo shrugs his shoulders: “What difference does that make anyway?”

Before 2010, there were no floods for the past many years. Due to this long gap, irrigation officers were unworried and complacent. “Hardly any repair work or maintenance was done.” According to him and other villagers, criminal negligence was the reason behind the Tori bund breach, which rendered millions of people homeless.

Mir Hassan Chachar, the peshimam and a social worker, told The Express Tribune that almost a year has passed since the flood, but 90 per cent of the village residents do not have Watan cards. “What relief?” he says. “After the Tori breached, we moved to higher grounds in Kandhkot, where we lived for two months. When we returned, our hearts sank. We didn’t see anything but just a few remains of what were once our houses.”

The mosque and primary school building somehow withstood the strong current of the water.

Not a single house has been reconstructed here by the government. Only a few houses were made by NGOS. Others have reconstructed their houses on their own, while those who cannot afford reconstruction are living in makeshift arrangements.

One such dwelling was Yakoob Chachar’s - made of bamboo and hay with a plastic sheet inside to stop rainwater from seeping in. “We are used to living in mud plastered houses with huge courtyards, where we kept our cattle. But now...he pauses and looks around, then continues after a sigh, “This is our house now.”

 

Published in The Express Tribune, July 14th, 2011.]]>
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			<title>Repatriated flood survivors: Back in the camps, it was better for the women</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/209518/repatriated-flood-survivors-back-in-the-camps-it-was-better-for-the-women</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/209518/repatriated-flood-survivors-back-in-the-camps-it-was-better-for-the-women#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 14 Jul 11 07:13:24 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[sarfaraz.memon]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sindh]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=209518</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Local farmers get back to ‘slave’ labour, landlords say all’s fair.]]>
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				<![CDATA[Being displaced from home was a blessing in disguise for some people.  Salma, a mother in her early twenties, says she is less secure back home in her village. “My husband works very hard in the field and if I am ever late in preparing meals, he beats me badly,” she says, adding that in the camp “there was relief for us women”.


Women cannot easily be spoken to. A conversation with Salma was possible only after taking permission from the men of the village.

On the difference between living in a flood relief camp and her village in Shikarpur district, she told The Express Tribune, “wohi farq hai jo jannat aur dozakh main hota hai.” (The difference is the same as it is between heaven and hell)

“Here I have to do work all day, then cook meals and look after the children, while in the relief camp we didn’t have to work in the fields and we were getting cooked food twice a day,” she says.

Salma’s children were also studying in the tent schools set up in relief camps, but now that they are home they spend the day playing in the fields. “Teachers are not ready to come so far. So you can see..” she says, pointing towards her children playing outside.

After coming back to the villages, the relationship between peasants and landlords has resumed from where it was left off. Farmers say they are treated as personal servants, while landowners claim that it’s a fair relationship.

Syed Ansar Shah, a landlord in the Garhi Syed village says he spends more and gets less, while the peasants spend less and get more. Shah says he pays taxes, purchases half the fertiliser and owns the land, yet the workers get half the harvest. “This is not all,” he said, “We provide housing to the peasants and healthcare if they are unwell.”

Another landlord, Nawab Khan Pathan from Zarkhel village, Khanpur taluka had similar views. He gets emotional when asked about not helping the peasants especially during last year’s flood and afterwards. “Who says we don’t help them? You are talking about flash floods of last year, when like other areas, our lands were also inundated and crops damaged. We are the ones who sustained more loss,” he said adding, “Everyone only sympathises with the peasants.” The peasants are happy with their lives because they get stocks of grain for the whole year after working for only four or five months”, he added.

“When our peasants fall sick, we get worried and rush them to the doctor, because they are our tools.”

In contrast, villagers say they are still treated as slaves. They say that they arrange the seed and pay for half of the fertiliser, pesticides, machinery and for leveling the land. We do all the work, but the landlords get two-thirds of the harvest.

“When our villages were washed away last year and we were forced to live in tents or by the roadside, and the landowners, instead of pacifying us, left for Karachi and Islamabad to live in their luxurious houses,” farmers said. “Farming is not enough to satisfy the landowners, our wives and children have to work too with no extra money.”

“Sahab, hum kia hamari zindagi kia?” (Who are we, what is our life?) Salma says, while throwing away some rotten tomatoes. “Our life is like that of a buffalo – good for the owner as long as she gives sufficient milk,” she says, adding “And when she turns dry, the owner sells her to the butcher.”

 

 

Published in The Express Tribune, July 14th, 2011.]]>
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			<title>The silver lining: After schools turned into relief camps, exam boards came to the rescue</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/209524/the-silver-lining-after-schools-turned-into-relief-camps-exam-boards-came-to-the-rescue</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/209524/the-silver-lining-after-schools-turned-into-relief-camps-exam-boards-came-to-the-rescue#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 14 Jul 11 07:12:09 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[neha.ansari]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sindh]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=209524</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Sukkur, Hyderabad boards made a relatively easier exam paper keeping suffering in mind.]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[Relief can come in many forms. For the matriculation students in flood affected areas, who saw their academic year disrupted and their schools occupied by those escaping the wrath of the raging waters, help came from an unusual source — the education boards — which gave them concessions in their examinations keeping in mind the on-ground situation.


Last year’s floods caused widespread havoc. Lives were lost, uprooted and altered for life. Relief camps were set up in 2,784 schools in Sindh, affecting the studies of thousands of students. The academic calendar was changed, schools started in October instead of August, the day ended at 3pm rather than 12:30 or 1 pm and students were deprived of their vacation.

The actual ‘relief’ — which many camps could not provide — was given by the Board of Secondary Education (BISE), Hyderabad and Sukkur. They made sure the students sitting the annual board exams do not have to face difficult question papers.

“We wouldn’t say that we prepared a very easy exam paper, but we made sure it was not very difficult,” said BISE Hyderabad controller Amir Shafiq. “We are obviously aware of our surroundings and we realised what the children had gone through the whole year round. As a functional organisation, we made this decision and played our part.”

The board also decided to give a grace period to students. “The exams every year start around mid-March, but this year we gave the students more time to prepare.” The class IX board exams started on April 21 even though the syllabus had been covered by March.

The Sukkur board had less of the affected students sitting the exams at the schools falling under their jurisdiction. “But we kept the sufferings of the students in mind when we were making the question paper,” said the BISE Sukkur exam controller, Mehmoodul Hassan Khokhar.

Ehsan Ali Mangi, the headmaster of the Government Mohammad Khatimullah School, Sukkur confirmed to The Express Tribune that students told him the exam was relatively easier. “This was a great gesture as my students had to put up with a lot.”

Mangi’s school was turned into a flood relief camp from August 9 to October 15 last year. Furniture was damaged — mostly used as firewood by the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) — and the plumbing system was disrupted. A typewriter was stolen and the building reeked of human waste.

Kulsoom Shah had to deal with similar predicaments. She is the principal of the Government Fatima Elementary School, which was turned into a relief camp from September 6 to October 1. She had to bear tube lights, cupboards and six fans being stolen. “I had to suffer losses of about Rs35,000,” she estimated.

But more than that, the number of admissions to her school declined. “No parent wanted to send their children to a school that had turned into a relief camp. Enrolled children were also pulled out by some parents.”

But schools diligently finished the board exam course syllabus on time. It was a bumpy ride, but the easier exams helped the students cope.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, July 14th, 2011.]]>
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			<title>After-effects: Thousands still displaced in Sindh</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/209438/after-effects-thousands-still-displaced-in-sindh</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/209438/after-effects-thousands-still-displaced-in-sindh#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 14 Jul 11 07:10:47 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[saba.imtiaz]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sindh]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=209438</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Many of the refugees want a life in Karachi.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[While the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Sindh seems to be wrapping up its flood relief efforts, the 6,000 people still in the Mauripur flood relief camp in Karachi continue to hope that they will register on the government’s radar.


Each tent has a story to tell. And it usually involves death, destruction and despair.

Siyani, 35, lost her newborn twin daughters shortly after they were born. Zareena wept as she pointed out the torn tent she and her three children live in. Her daughter died in the camp due to ailments brought about by the oppressive heat. She has no means of income, as her husband Allah Bachayo has not been able to find work since he is partially disabled.

Ameerzadi nurses her one-month old daughter, Abida, as the hot summer wind causes the tent walls to nearly cave in. “We have to borrow money to take a child to the hospital,” she says. “My child has been running a fever for two days but we have no money for medicine.”

Initially the camp was provided facilities by both the provincial government and non-governmental organisations. Roshni Helpline had set up a mobile school, and NGOs and the provincial administration provided rations. The police was deployed for security.

Residents say that all of the support stopped about five months ago. Ishraq Ahmed, the secretary-general of the camp committee, says drinking water is scarce and rations are only coming in via donations. He says that while at least 60% of the men in the camp have managed to find some sort of daily wage jobs, many in the camp go hungry every night.

According to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), the PDMAs of Sindh and Balochistan were told in April to distribute relief goods in ‘spontaneous camps’ and ensure the return of the displaced.

However, the camp residents – who were relocated to the camp from their homes in Shahdadkot, Jacobabad and Shikarpur – are adamant that they will not return, though their reasons seem to have little to do with the flood.

“The waderas will ask us to repay our debts – ranging from Rs80,000 to Rs200,000 – how will we do this?” asks Mohammad Awais. “Even if the government gives us land the feudal landlords will take it from us.”

Awais says that they want their children to grow up in Karachi and build a better life in a place where there is infrastructure, education and jobs.

Ahmed lists the number of government officials who “promised” that they would be housed on the plot the camp is located on. Yet many of those officials have never returned to the camp, and they remain in limbo as to their status.

“There is nothing left in the flooded areas,” says Mohammad Baksh Inam. “There are new warnings of floods. What will we go back to? We don’t have any land of our own.”

Thousands remain displaced after the floods, but it is difficult to ascertain an exact number because many of the relief camps have closed down. According to a March 2011 assessment by OCHA, at least 100,000 people (105,083 people in 132 camps) were still displaced in Sindh. Another 550 people are displaced in Punjab’s Muzaffargarh and Layyah districts. 

 

Published in The Express Tribune, July 14th, 2011.]]>
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			<title>Financing reconstruction: Where is all the money?</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/208778/financing-reconstruction-where-is-all-the-money</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/208778/financing-reconstruction-where-is-all-the-money#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 14 Jul 11 07:08:53 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Shahbaz Rana]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=208778</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Prime minister’s flood relief fund remains unused;  UNDP unable to achieve many goals because of a lack of funding.]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[Nearly a year after the worst floods in 64 years inundated a fifth of Pakistan’s landmass and affected 20 million people, confusion abounds on the amount of aid that was actually received by the country, with the government and the United Nations offering sharply differing statistics – the UN claiming that a far higher figure has been spent than the government.


According to the data compiled by the economic affairs division of the finance ministry, the international community has disbursed only $661 million out of their total commitments of over $3 billion (Rs258 billion). Meanwhile, the Office for the Coordination for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) at the UN claims that pledges totalled $2.6 billion, of which 85% or $2.2 billion have already been released.

Immediately after the floods, the UN had made a flash appeal for $1.9 billion in aid to Pakistan.  Of the total pledges, $696 million or 22.8% was supposed to be disbursed to the government, and the remaining through the UN and its allied agencies.

The government of Pakistan had faced a tremendous credibility problem, with many donors unwilling to disburse aid through the government, choosing instead to disburse money through the UN and non-governmental organisations. The differences between what the government claims it has received and what the UN says has been disbursed are largely due to the fact that the government only counts the money it receives directly, whereas the UN counts money spent by aid agencies as well.

A finance ministry official said that Pakistan did not have a mechanism to determine how much money has been released through the UN system and where it was spent. In a recent meeting with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the government asked for details of UN claims on how much money they have spent on aid. Government officials say the UN has yet to submit a reply.

Yet despite claiming to have received a much higher amount of donations than the government can account for, UNDP officials admit that they have not been able to achieve many of their goals because of a lack of funding.

“The early recovery phase, which ended on January 31, could not meet all targets as there was a funding gap of $571 million,” said Mehreen Saeed, a spokesperson for the UNDP.

Government officials also criticise the UN and international donor agencies for spending much of the aid money received on “administrative costs” that often include stays at expensive hotels for expatriate staff members as well as other amenities. A recent survey by Rozee.pk and YouGov suggests that working for foreign-funded NGOs is one of the highest paid professions in Pakistan, on par with the oil and gas sector.

Meanwhile, the government’s attempts to placate fears of corruption in aid disbursement do not seem to be going well as the body created to oversee the effort has been hobbled by legal challenges to its existence and high-profile defections from its management.

After the flood, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani created the National Oversight Disaster Management Council. Yet the body has remained ineffective since its existence does not have legal cover, according to one council member. The NOMDC was created through a government notification, rather than through legislation.

“How could a body ensure transparent use of money when it is itself not sure about its legal status,” said one council member who wished to remain anonymous because the NOMDC is not authorised to speak publicly about their work. He said that one member of the council – Sardar Mohammad Raza Khan, a retired judge from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa – quit the NOMDC for this very reason.

In addition, government officials seem unwilling to comment on how the Rs6.8 billion collected through the Prime Minister’s Flood Relief Fund has been, or will be, spent.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, July 14th, 2011.]]>
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			<title>Ambitious plans in place as more rainfall looms</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/208779/ambitious-plans-in-place-as-more-rainfall-looms</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/208779/ambitious-plans-in-place-as-more-rainfall-looms#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 14 Jul 11 07:05:55 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[zahid.gishkori]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=208779</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Still no guarantee on quality of work or lessons learnt from 2010.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Pakistan continues to strive to update its flood warning system on the one hand and to improve its capacity to provide relief to flood victims on the other. What is missing, however, is more tangible information on lessons learnt from the 2010 floods.


This year, the government’s Flood Forecasting Division has predicted that rainfall will be 10 per cent lower as compared to 2010 in those areas of Sindh and Balochistan which were devastated by the floods last year.

At the same time, it has cautioned that the predicted rainfall in Punjab, Khyber- Pakhtunkhwa and parts of Kashmir will be 10 per cent higher.

“The chances of massive flooding cannot be ruled out but river flow will remain normal as compared to last year,” comments the country’s forecast chief, Muhammad Riaz.

Last years floods affected 36 districts and about 20 million people.  While comparing river flow in present times with that in the previous year, Riaz said the flow of water was 167,000 cusecs in Tarbela Dam and 200,000 cusecs in Kalabagh. There is no cause for alarm as yet, he added.

Chief Engineer Muhammad Alamgir says that all major rivers - the Indus, Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi and Sutlej are flowing normally, whereas River Kabul at Warsak and River Swat/ Khiali at Munda &amp; Charsadda Road Bridge are flowing in the Low Flood Stage.

But Alamgir confesses that the forecast cells “lack the latest technology to predict ahead of time.”

To address this, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has formulated a federal level technical working group comprising representatives from the Federal Flood Commission and other bodies, including some UN agencies, to revise the existing contingency plan.

NDMA chairman Dr Zafar Qadir said arrangements have been made for daily updates by telephone for information on water levels in River Chenab at Akhnoor, the River Ravi below Madhupur and the River Sutlej below Rupar, Harike and Ferozepur.

In addition, water outflow from Bhakra Dam on River Sutlej, Pong Dam on River Beas and Ranjit-Sagar (Thein) Dam on River Ravi will be monitored.

Water information will also be broadcast from Radio Jammu three times a day for River Chenab at Akhnoor on discharge of 75,000 cusecs and above, for River Jammu Tawi at Jammu for discharge of 20,000 cusecs and above and River Ravi below Madhupur for discharge of 30,000 cusecs and over.

Qadir also said that from July onwards a flood cell will monitor this information round the clock. But one questions whether this is enough or is the bureaucracy playing tricks again.

Experts say that on occasions, the interaction of easterly and westerly systems may result in heavy downpour causing localised urban or flash flooding. Last year, this had caused much devastation in Sindh and Balochistan.

No one seems to be ready to answer the question of what plan was in place in 2010 and why despite several days notice, Sindh and Balochistan were not prepared for the floods that washed large tracts of land.

For its part, the NDMA wants to blow its trumpet in terms of relief work. Its chief says his organisation had completed relief activities by January, 2011 all over Pakistan except for five most flood affected districts in Sindh and Balochistan where these activities continued till April 15, 2011.

According to the NDMA chairman, 80 per cent work on dykes and dams that were affected in Sindh and Punjab has been completed.

This is important information, given that it was the breaching of dykes and embankments that led to the large scale flooding. No one still knows why Tori Bund gave way. There is still no indication as to who will be held responsible for the poor quality of work that was done on most of these bunds owing to which they succumbed to the pressure of the flood waters.

Now bureaucracy again has its way and funds have poured for repair work. Sindh hopes to complete repair work on embankments of the Indus River, damaged in last year’s floods by mid-July.

In Punjab, the repair work of embankments and spurs is in full swing and has been completed in most places.

In KP, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority based on experiences from 2010, has approved a contingency plan for limiting possible devastation due to monsoon rains.

However, in all this there is no guarantee that the quality of work would be superior to what was done in the past and that greater good and not personal and political interests would be considered when deciding to breach one embankment and not the other.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 14th, 2011.]]>
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			<title>Pakistan survives global financial crisis</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/24177/pakistan-survives-global-financial-crisis</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/24177/pakistan-survives-global-financial-crisis#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 27 Jun 10 19:51:18 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[sobia.shahnaz]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=24177</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The global financial crisis and the accompanying global credit crunch had a minor but direct impact on Pakistan. The country’s economy remains out of the woods but the government still needs to find donors to bridge the whopping gaps created even after an $11.3 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The performance of Pakistan’s economy in the fiscal year 2008-09 had been greatly influenced by macroeconomic imbalances created in 2007-08. Persistent inflationary pressures and the weak performance of key sectors made it a demanding year. Add high global commodity prices to the mix and the dual impact shocked the economy with a gaping trade deficit, high inflation and crash in the value of the rupee.

For the first time in years, the economy will have to seek external funding to support balance of payments. The cost of protection against a default in Pakistan’s sovereign debt trades at 1,800 basis points. With the step up in operation against militants, an acute energy shortage and resource constraints, the domestic environment remained detrimental, threatening macroeconomic fundamentals. As a result of these pressures, the economy has not only been impacted with regard to overall performance but has also undergone a medium-term shift in policy orientation. Policy intervention has been geared towards stabilising the economy, with a targeted recovery phase which began in fiscal year 2009-10.

Inflation remains the biggest threat to the economy, jumping to more than nine per cent in 2005 before easing to 7.9 per cent in 2006. The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) estimates that inflation should drop back to single digits this year and that growth should rise to over five per cent annually by 2011. While this is less than the seven per cent average over the past five years, it would represent a step towards overcoming the present crisis where growth is a mere four per cent.

The effects of the global slowdown have been transmitted through the trade balance with a slowdown in global demand and a fall in commodity prices with varying effects on capital account and a significant reduction in private inflows to Pakistan.

The global crisis has impacted Pakistan’s external debt through the depreciation of the US dollar against major international currencies leading to significant worldwide losses. A receptive debt policy is currently being formulated in order to monitor, assess and take steps to mitigate the currency risks.

On the other hand, the low interest rate environment amid the ongoing crisis has provided Pakistan with an opportunity to capitalise on lower servicing costs of its existing stock of floating rate external debt.

After recognising the economic challenges, the government and State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) initiated an aggressive macroeconomic stabilisation programme with the help of International Monetary Fund (IMF) to put the economy back on track.

The crisis has also allowed the government and SBP to undertake some key reforms in the domestic public debt market. The government has started announcing quarterly targets for treasury bill auctions. The decisions on cut-off rates for auctions are now based on target and more importantly this cut-off is now decided by the Ministry of Finance instead of the central bank. The SBP is now aiming to adopt a transparent liquidity management framework including the announcement of an explicit corridor for money market interest rates which will be made public.

As part of monetary policy management, the SBP has also introduced a number of reforms in the foreign exchange market. Importantly, the SBP decided to gradually phase out the provision of foreign exchange for importing oil. Now the inter-bank market is meeting the foreign exchange demand for the import of furnace oil.

The impact of the global crisis has so far been very limited but a few credible threats still remain. The external sector still faces multiple threats in the form of a further reduction in international demand and secondly, a recent rally in international commodity prices as investors seek refuge could potentially reverse the gains registered in the current account balance. With regard to external financing if current conditions in international markets continue, the government will have to increase reliance on funding from multilateral and bilateral agencies.

Dealing with the crisis is difficult for Pakistan due to fiscal constraints. Balance of payments weaknesses forced the country to resort to an IMF standby arrangement that imposed further conditions on the budget. Subsidies on wheat, electricity, fertiliser and oil had to be phased out which in turn increased the inflationary burden on consumers. While there are some social safety nets at the federal and provincial levels, access to these has generally become more difficult.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 28th, 2010.]]>
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