ISLAMABAD: The United Nations on Monday began a drive to feed half a million people affected by torrential rains in Pakistan where a second year of flooding has killed more than 200, officials said.
The crisis came just weeks after aid agency Oxfam accused the government of failing to invest in prevention measures after floods last year hit 21 million people and cost the economy $10 billion in the country's worst natural disaster.
Pakistan, a nuclear-armed state suffering appalling levels of Taliban and al Qaeda linked violence, has now seen vast swathes of farmland inundated for a second year in the southern province of Sindh, the nation's breadbasket.
One official said the situation there was even worse than last year.
"So far, 209 people have been killed and 5.3 million affected," Zafar Qadir, head of the country's disaster management authority, told reporters.
"Around 1.7 million acres of agricultural land has also been affected by the rains and floods."
The UN food agency said Monday it had started to provide emergency supplies to the first of half a million people, following a weekend appeal from Pakistan, which already relies on billions of dollars of international aid.
(Read: "Sindh floods: Zardari appeals to the UN for assistance")
World Food Programme (WFP) spokesman Amjad Jamal told AFP that the agency had provided food packages to more than 600 families in Badin, one of the worst affected districts of Sindh.
"This is the first UN food response after Pakistan's government's appeal. We will expand this program to half a million people in coming days," he said.
China, Pakistan's most trusted foreign ally, said it had pledged $4.7 million for urgent humanitarian assistance and its ambassador on Monday handed over a cheque worth $50,000 to the disaster management authority.
(Read: "True friends: China first country to offer flood aid")
The authority said it was working to quantify "huge" losses with cash crops such as sugar cane, banana and cotton now under water.
The government was last year pilloried by flood victims who accused civilian authorities of a delayed and inadequate response to the disaster.
A special parliamentary committee, formed by Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani to coordinate relief efforts this time round, said it was facing huge problems.
"We have provided 80,000 family food packages and 45,000 tents. We have procured 10,000 more tents but there are serious distribution problems," Qamar Zaman Kaira, a member of the committee, told reporters.
"The helicopters are unable to fly in the continuous rains and roads have been flooded. The crisis is worse than last year in Sindh province. There are huge losses."
Gilani has said recent rains in Sindh were nearly 2.5 times normal levels, and inundated 4.1 million acres, including 1.7 million acres of crops.
He said 700,000 houses had been damaged, 150,000 people in relief camps needed immediate assistance and that 64,000 livestock had been lost.
The UN children's agency said up to 2.5 million children in southern Pakistan had been affected by the floods.
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@Grace: Yeah, like Punjab's dominance in the government/military establishment, control over resources, has no bearing on how "organized" Punjab is. It's got nothing to do with the politics of marginalization, this just a matter of will-power and hard work, which only the Punjab has. Sindh is just "disorganized" and lazy, not disenfranchised - that's why they have themselves to blame for this flood disaster. The same way Mexicans and Blacks in the U.S. are "lazy" and "disorganized" so they don't progress the way whites do, right?
@Grace: I can understand and appreciate your point of view. What I was trying to say is when the people of Sind are suffering how can the majority of Pakistanis living in better conditions be so indifferent? We can talk about management or lack thereof in ordinary times but this is crisis for poor people and they need food, clothes and shelter not lecture from politicians from the richer provinces. In other words more than 60% of Pakistani population living in Punjab should not close their eyes to these sufferings. If Punjab govt cannot help then stop lecturing and don’t oppose the aid coming from abroad. Let us stop creating hatred and rise above petty politics. Are we not already divided enough? Thanks and regards, Mirza
The moment the flood victims say they don't want or need the outside help is when I'll agree with the ones saying it's not required from a position of extreme convenience. The only thing you're doing by going against it is punishing the victims. There's a lot of talk about not requiring aid but I have yet to see it in any action. It's not like the request for foreign aid was reflexive. There was plenty of time for the naysayers to get moving and prove everyone wrong. They failed and should just move back to the sidelines and think up who to accuse for what next, at least give the victims a bit of a breather before you shove their heads back underwater under the claim of patriotism.
Some weeks ago Gilani & Co. made insulting noises at the UN and international bodies, expressly forbidding them to KEEP AWAY from instituting any new flood relief efforts. Remember that? Why are not papers reporting those words & news items NOW?
Could not the misery been reduced had international relief been started full force then?
Are not the government and the PRESS, Urdu & English, equally culpable for this hypocrisy?
Is it not realized that such gestures reduce the already-minimal goodwill for Pakistan in international circles, especially the West & Japan, who are expected to foot the bill for UN relief? China still claims to be an underdeveloped nation, in need of aid herself, in international forums, and does not contribute much to the UN funds. So before kicking the West in the face GRATUITOUSLY, think hard about the China factor.
It is sad that these people are suffering. But where is the plethora of NGOs and other welfare bodies? The likes of relief funds like Mir Khalil ur Rahman (MKR) the GEO TV brigade, Dawn Relief Fund etc are only conspicuous by their absence! What does this attitude mean?
I hear that there are understanding and kind souls doing their bit by taking truck-loads of relief goods, medicines, ration to the needy but at the same time these are just few individuals who can only do as much as they can. Why are the NGOs silent? Where have all the so called relief funds gone? Why act selectively even in times of calamity?
This is not the time to say such things but it is painful to see that there is no local organization involved in lending a hand. Yes, the government should do what it is supposed to, but this doesn't mean that all other resourceful organizations will participate in a deafening silence.
Hats off to all those who feel the pain and are doing their bit without wasting time. Shame on those watching the suffering take its toll.
@Mirza: Perhaps you need to ask why things are better off in the Punjab. Why can't other provinces be better organized and work as hard as the people and local government in Punjab. I agree that with better management, we don't need any foreign aid since it makes our people dependent. It's got nothing to do with politics- it has to do with taking ownership of our own problems. If the Punjab can do it, the rest of Pakistan can do it.
People like Sharif who are opposing foreign aid, how much are they contributing? Punjab being more than 60% of well offf Pakistanis should offer something rather than being only critical. Last year when lot of foreign aid came to Pakistan nobody objected to that. Now all of a sudden nobody wants to give anything to the flood victims of Sind, they even go to the extent of opposing foreign aid. It is like "na Khuda tu de na main doon". How much help each of the political parties have provided to these poor victims?
One advice from the person across the border- For god's sake please create disaster management system and build dams. Flood is nothing but waste of precious pak water please do not blame India. Atleast start acting to avoid flood in next few years.
What a country... There is a major natural disaster in the country and the President is in London and Prime Minister in Iran
" China, Pakistan’s most trusted foreign ally, said it had pledged $4.7 million for urgent humanitarian assistance and its ambassador on Monday handed over a cheque worth $50,000 to the disaster management authority " .. $50,000 ..ha ha ha .. friendship higher than himalayas .. indeed .. he he he
Free advice to my Pak brothers and sisters - Stop fooling yourself, vote for change, ask for accountability
does that mean from last year june till this year september , people who were all affected from punjab including mullahs ,civilians including women and children didnt pray or go to masjid or is it their pain is not felt by the one who these people pray for ?.
Too bad that the United Nations has to step in,a situation that should have been dealt, on a priority basis, by our own listless government. Wake up from your slumber.