Flood relief — how to really help

The notion that millions in misery has nothing to do with social values, individual actions is a concocted reality.


Sohail Salahuddin August 21, 2010

The earth is spinning at about 1,000 miles an hour at a speed of about 66,000 mph in its elliptical journey around the sun. Its speed and angles are constantly changing while its land surface moves over a hot molten core. In a modern society people learn there is a rhythm to nature, and also a science. They design their activities accordingly.

Shift to the news anchors hired by affluent TV channel owners in Pakistan proclaiming the wrath of God has unleashed massive floods in the country. They show snapshots of villages like Katcha Bunder, leaving a global audience wondering why the reporters think viewers will know where Katcha Bunder is, especially when the report does not bother to name the river in flood or the province. For the week before last weekend, news reports of the floods were, to many people, like the challenge of playing Scrabble with only four alphabets. The language of modern disaster management was missing. It was like talking to an out-of-towner who does not know the names and directions of your city. This is the contemporary Pakistani approach (henceforth ‘contemp-pak approach’) as opposed to the global approach.

I should add a disclosure about original research. I have worked in three international disasters in diverse capacities and trained in multiple disciplines that are required for disaster management. The notion that millions are in misery and that this misery has nothing to do with social values and individual actions or planning is a concocted hyper-reality and the latest form of escape from responsibility. Two beliefs of the ‘contemp-pak’ approach are at work. One, that nature is static and any movement is an aberration. The second, that money can be made in quick, easy ways without doing hard work. For example, instead of donating to develop knowledge we will hand out food after the damage is done. The force of these two beliefs will undermine and waste aid efforts. This hypothesis was tested with over a hundred of the best educated in the Pakistani diaspora, from business families and top professional jobs. No one said we need a modern global approach to disaster management. People voted for the ‘contemp-pak approach’ with limited language/variables, and activities couched in simple kneejerk reactions. People prefer to call their “contacts” regardless of competence — let’s do a few fundraisers and send clothes, food and medicines on a hired truck. In contrast, in a modern approach groups donate to develop knowledge and analysis.

In 2005, I remember trucks left new clothes on the streets of Balakot where there was little need for them; they turned dirty and were eventually burnt for waste disposal. The office buildings of rich, educated Pakistanis in affluent areas of Karachi have cracks, their drainage pipes are falling onto electric wires and there is no running water. Imagine giving these people aid money for a disaster — it would be like feeding a virus instead of curing it. This is what is happening with the current flood disaster.

The myth of ignorance about this disaster would be better replaced by an obstinate rejection of progress. Warnings and planning have been proposed in critical groups during and after the earthquake period — including universities, media, and cultural organisations. People in the educated diaspora and local groups have requested for space to discuss alternate paradigms of looking at society to prevent disasters for which the signs are obvious to experts. Because the contemp-pak approach is viral, there is no public space left to present new modern approaches. It’s like asking an alcoholic or smoker to give up their addiction; they will fight you tooth and nail even though you are saying it for their own good. The priority to avert frequent disasters is to have alternative spaces for discussion; like building healthy cells in a diseased body. Without this space, we suffocate and die. Last call.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 22nd, 2010.

COMMENTS (5)

saher | 13 years ago | Reply this is the need.. but unfortunately our larger segment of media is again brainwashing ppl and is making them just feed the ppl instead of spreading awareness. "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime"... we need long term planning... feeding and sending new clothes would help but thats not the end of story.
Sohail Salahuddin | 13 years ago | Reply Readers, the tribune. com.pk email address is not working so please SEND your emails to sohail.salahuddin@gmail.com Its always good to pool ideas and knowledge. Adil, you are asking questions which is key. The earthquake and future efforts left enough time for creating disaster mgt infrastructure. From this and other research we can derive that in the contemporary Pakistani approach knowledge is not considered valuable enough to develop or use. I come from a school of thought that would say its an injustice to reduce disaster mgt to a few sentences, sms, or twitter. The modern world has devoted thousands of people and millions/billions to develop methodology and it cannot be transferred in seconds. The quick approach is the virus. In a short space, all I would say is if you have to give do not do it because the person asking is a 'contact', look for merit and competence and integrity. And work on the med term now - its coming soon to a venue near you. In New York donors actually paid people like me before giving money to an ngo so that they had an expert opinion that the money would not be blown at a party. We have no such values for checks. Lives are at stake - people do not just go to anyone for a caesarean section. Thanks Nadir and Sharjeel for yr comments. The evidence can be calibrated and estimated if you look at whats written and other mediums in Pak but grading organizations is a technical skill. Working for outcomes that you want is still a good idea rather than waiting or wishing for events. Best Sohail
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