Farce in flood relief


Editorial August 05, 2010

Comedy, at the right place and time, is an important facet of life. But there must be some concern when it surfaces in the midst of a human catastrophe. Even as floods sweep away homes and, according to the Punjab authorities, affect 1.4 million people in the province, those who should be working for relief seem more anxious to impress high-ups.

The farce in Mianwali, where the district administration, according to media reports, set up a convincing ‘mock’ health camp ahead of the prime minister’s visit, is an illustration of the attitudes that prevail. It would appear that the ‘patients’ at the camp, to whom the PM distributed cheques during the visit, climbed out of their cots and walked away the moment he left. The props put up to fool the prime minister vanished as well. In another situation, the pretence would have merited a good laugh. But as things stand now there is little scope for humour. At least 1,500 people are already reported dead, children struck by stomach ailments writhe in pain, tens of thousands gaze on helplessly at destroyed lands and homes and from parts of Swat there are reports of starvation as food supplies are not reaching people. What is shocking is the callousness we see. Officials in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa are handing out much needed rations only to relatives and brushing aside others who beg for help.

The flooding crisis has been created by the forces of nature but it has been aggravated by the inability to get the relief operation moving smoothly. The efforts of the National Disaster Management Authority – set up specifically to deal with calamities – have been stuttering at best. International experts accept the crisis is a huge one. Humanitarian agencies have rushed in to help. But their efforts will bear fruit only if our own authorities move to the frontlines and give up pretence in favour of real efforts to assist people.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 6th, 2010.

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