Empty cities

The image of a ghost city is always frightening, whether it stares out at us from film archives or sepia photographs.

The image of a ghost city is always a frightening one, whether it stares out at us from film archives or sepia photographs. Muzaffargarh has already been turned into such a city following its evacuation. Jacobabad, one of the biggest urban centres in Sindh is following as its population of 300,000 people has been shifted in anticipation of flood waters surging through its streets following a canal breach. Nearby towns are also being evacuated and there are conflicting reports as to how likely Jacobabad is to be overwhelmed by the flood racing down the Indus. Attempts have been made to divert the waters, but the degree of success is as yet uncertain.

The moving out of people is of course necessary. This is the only way to save lives and prevent people becoming marooned as happened in Dera Ghazi Khan and elsewhere. The task however is one of overwhelming  proportions. The administrations involved concede it is almost beyond their capacity to manage or to deal with the emerging situation and all it entails. One of the problems of course is that there is nowhere for people to go. The UNHCR and other UN agencies have stated that they are unable to provide shelter to so many people in such desperate need. There are not enough materials or human resources available to do so. This of course presents for victims streaming out of cities a terrible dilemma. All over the country we now have tens of thousands of people camping out in the open without tents, food, water or basic aid. The people of Jacobabad will now join them. So will others from settlements everywhere.

The story of the latest evacuation demonstrates in many ways just how helpless authorities are in the face of disaster on this scale. Ardent efforts were made to tackle the Jacobabad situation as effectively as possible. Ministers and others moved in to lend their personal support. The fact that despite this potential suffering on a huge scale lies ahead shows us just how difficult things are. They will not improve any time soon.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 15^th, 2010.