‘NGOs helping flood survivors also need help’

KARACHI: District Coordination Officers (DCOs) should ensure the security of humanitarian organisations working to provide relief to survivors in the flood-affected areas, stated the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF) on Monday.

Communities settled along the left bank of the River Indus have been living in fear after breaches in Kashmore, Jacobabad and Jamshoro that have caused irreparable damage to the area, the PFF stated after conducting surveys in 11 districts.

Jamshoro and Thatta have suffered the most as hundreds of residents have been displaced by the floods while Kotri and Hyderabad are at risk as the embankments along the cities have been declared “sensitive” in many areas.

As the water level continues to increase, people believe that the Right Bank Outfall Drain (RBOD) may collapse on two sides along the Soorjani and Monarki protective embankments in Thatta.

They also fear that the Soonda and Sujawal towns, where around 30,000 people are settled close to the river, may also be hit, while the floods also threaten to affect almost 40,000 people who live in the union councils of Soonga, Jhirki, Chhato Chand, Tando Hafiz and Oongar if breaches take place along the embankments. People fear that the flow of water, that was diverted from Jacobabad and is now posing a threat to Shahdadkot, will enter the Manchhar Lake through the RBOD and will destroy 11 villages, where mostly fishermen are settled. PFF activists who are working near the Manchhar Lake feared that the water will destroy settlements around Manchhar and may also hit Dadu and Jamshoro.

PFF appealed to the government to provide them with land when there can set up a “tent city” to accommodate the displaced flood survivors.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 17^th, 2010.