With a little help from our friends

Pakistan, crippled by the floods, is forced to bring out the begging bowl once again.


Editorial August 17, 2010
With a little help from our friends

As Pakistan, crippled by the floods, is forced to bring out the begging bowl once again, it is learning a lot about which international friends it can rely on in its greatest hour of need. While the total flood aid received is well below what we need, some countries have shown themselves to be better friends than others. No surprises then that the US, which was at the forefront of earthquake aid in 2005, has once again given more money and logistical help than any other country, with aid totaling $70 million and the use of nearly two dozen military helicopters to airlift supplies and survivors. Given the recent fractures in our relations with the UK, it is heartening that the British have pledged $32 million, the second highest amount. It was then insensitive of UN Ambassador Abdullah Hussain Haroon to blame British Prime Minister David Cameron’s remarks, on our alleged support of the Taliban, for the international community’s lethargic response. While it is true that Pakistan’s poor image is partly responsible for the difficulty in securing aid, blaming it on one remark rather than on our own actions is hardly accurate. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who visited the affected areas, should be thanked for bringing to the world’s attention the severity of the disaster and doing all he can to ensure that more aid is forthcoming and is utilised effectively.

However, China, always touted as our most steadfast friend, initially offered only $1.5 million and later increased it to just over $7 million. Given that China itself has experienced heavy flooding, that could be a reason for their relatively low aid, although one would have hoped that this would make them empathise more with our situation. India may have been tardy with its offer of $5 million but, all our political differences aside, we need to accept that money straight away rather than dilly-dally. This could be the catalyst for an improvement in relations and, more importantly, nearly 20 million flood-affected people all over the country are crying out for help.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 18th, 2010.

COMMENTS (3)

Anoop | 14 years ago | Reply @Yousaf, Not the Pakistan govt but the Pakistani army needs to be blamed as they have governed the country for more than half of Pakistan's existance. They are even responsible for breaking up the country. Democracy, true Democracy(I dont consider Democracy minus Civilian Supremacy as Democracy), should come to Pakistan. Only then things will start to improve.
yousaf | 14 years ago | Reply Although such like situations do call for help from World Community but the shameless Pakistani Government with an ever bigger begging bowl must carry out an introspection of what they have done to this country. Even this situation is not enough to instill the fear of GOD in their hearts.They still fly high on helicopters with starched clothes, wasting public money, Still fake camps are established for photo sessions and still no response to establish Commission with people of integrity as suggested by Nawaz Sharif (although I am not his fan as he is also hand in glove with the present setup) With this leadership Pakistan will never rise.
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