Flood relief fails to reach remote areas

When he hears a vehicle approaching, Nazir Buledi does a double take and then gets up with hope in his heart that finally someone has arrived to help him and his family.

However, the flood affectee, who’s living in a makeshift tent on the outskirts of Qambar tehsil, is left disappointed every time. So far neither a helicopter has dropped rations nor has any truck carrying relief items passed through his area. Resultantly, Buledi and the rest of those seeking refuge on the outskirts of Qambar, and other such remote areas of Sindh, have lost all hope for any help whether it be from the government or non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

Sobdar Khoso, a flood affectee who is living with his spouse and five family members on the main Thorhi Bijar road, shares Buledi’s sentiments. “It has been one week but no help has arrived yet,” a distraught Khoso lamented. He along with others from his village had to escape after the water-level reached some 6 to 7 feet, devastating their homes.

“We left the village after multiple breaches appeared in a drain that crosses by us. We spent almost 35 hours in the heavy rain whilst wrapping broken plastic bags around us, with no food.” Arbab Ali Marfani, who met with the same fate as Khoso and is currently living under a tent at the bank of Drigh Lake, questioned the relief activities on the part of the government and NGOs. “We are told that 20 trucks carrying rations have arrived in Qamber city, which is hardly 11 kilometres away from here.

However, no one has bothered to bring them to us. Should our children remain hungry?” he asked. Marfani was of the view that the relief efforts were only for the people in cities and towns “not for those who live in remote areas.” He further informed they had made several appeals to the union council nazim but all of it had been in vain. Hundreds of families in union council Bohar, Ber Sharif, Ghaibe Dero Qubo Saeed Khan, Lalu Raunk, who are living in makeshift tents on roads and canal embankments are livid, distraught, and demanding answers like Khoso and Marfani. The Express Tribune asked the representatives of a welfare organisation as to why remote areas were not being prioritised. “Every organisation has its own modus operandi. Lets finish our work in the towns and cities then we will move to far flung areas,” replied Abid Lashari, who is part of the relief efforts of a leading organisation. However, community development expert, Asghar Soomro, believes that welfare organisations and NGOs pursue a donor driven agenda, hence the absence from remote areas.

“They focus on getting more media attention and publicity, which is readily available in cities and towns. One can only expect limited and targeted intervention on the part of NGOs,” Soomro explained. While NGOs may have their reasons, Nehar Mugheri, another flood affectee questioned as to why the government was missing. “Sindh Rural Support Organisation (SRSO), a government funded organisation which is supposed to work in our areas but is totally missing.” Jamal Mustafa Shoro, a senior manager of the SRSO, when questioned about their disappearance, said that they lacked resources. “We can only enlarge our scope once we get more funding,” said Shoro. With both welfare and government organisations citing troubles, Ali Gohar Channa, who has been living on the road after losing his home, questioned how would people survive without any help? “Recently, a minor girl in these camps passed away due to diarrhoea and vomiting. We had no place to bury her. Our problems have increased from mere rations to actual health emergencies,” a visibly torn Channa said while talking to the Express Tribune.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 1^st, 2022.