‘V Need U’ is there where it is needed most

V Need U went to Sindh to improve its infrastructure and health facilities but the floods shifted its focus.

SUKKUR: The organisation, V Need U, went to Sindh to improve its infrastructure and health facilities but before it could start working, the floods arrived and they had to shift focus.

Thus, founder Afzaal Shaikh, who is in the real estate and construction business in Karachi, set up a camp on Airport Road in Sukkur. The camp, comprising 200 tents, was set up five days ago and is presently housing 2,000 people.

“We diverted our resources to the rehabilitation of flood survivors,” Shaikh told The Express Tribune.

V Need U is providing rations, including wheat flour, rice, sugar, tea, cooking oil, vegetables and soon they hope to give them white meat as well. The children living in the camp receive biscuits, chocolates, sweets, juices and milk on a daily basis, Shaikh said.

Since Eid is also around the corner, the organisation will distribute clothes among the survivors, Shaikh said, adding that children will receive toys and Rs50 cash while the elders will receive Rs100 cash along with new clothes.

“We have given them water coolers and soon we will give utensils as well,” he added.

According to Shaikh, there are 100 pregnant women in the camp and a lady doctor visits the camp for a daily check-up.

“We are also establishing a 16-bed, air-conditioned hospital on the roof top of Sukkur Blood and Drugs Donating Society and Hospital, where an operation theatre will also be available for camp inmates,” he said, adding that “a team of general physicians and specialists from Canada and Pakistan are expected to arrive in a day or two to run this hospital”.

People living in the camp are also satisfied with the arrangements. “These people are taking very good care of us,” said Jan Muhammad Jaffery, a resident of Karampur who came to this camp two days ago.

“My children are very happy because besides the good food, they get biscuits, chocolates, juices and milk, every day,” claimed Thakuri Bagri, another resident of Karampur. Pointing towards a bag of rations lying in the corner of her tent, she said, “they have me this the other day and I can now cook meals for my family”. Kalawati Narain, who was sharing a biscuit with her three year old daughter, Lachchmi, recalled the time she was living by the roadside and her children longed for biscuits, chocolates, milk and juice, which they are getting easily now.

Other relief camps in Sukkur

Surveys reveal that a total of 239 relief camps have been set up across Kashmore, Jacobabad, Qambar, Shikarpur and Sukkur. While many such camps have closed down since the water began to recede, there are several more that are providing shelter to the thousands of displaced people.

The most popular among all relief camps is the one set up by the students of the Institute of Business Administration.

More than 2,000 flood survivors are receiving cooked meals, rations, potable water and medical facilities.

Saylani Welfare Trust has also established a relief camp on Airport Road in Sukkur. One of the trustees, Usman Naveed, told The Express Tribune that their camp had 460 tents and they provide cooked meals to more than 6,000 people twice a day in Sukkur.

Jamaat-e-Islami backed Al-Khidmat, which is headed by former Karachi Nazim Niamatullah Khan, has set up relief camps at Hira school on Airport Road and Madrassah Tafheemul Quran in Old Sukkur and a medical camp.

President of Sukkur Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Munawwar Khan, has adopted three relief camps under his Munawwar Khan Foundation.

Meanwhile, Hamid Flourmills and Continental Biscuits have set up seven relief camps, including those at Sukkur Bypass, Arain Road, Railway Station and City Point of Bachal Shah. There are more than 5,000 survivors at these camps who are provided rations every day while Dr Najam Shaikh of Pakistan Railways is looking after their health.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz sent 17 truckloads of relief goods, containing dry rations, water, tents and medicines.

These goods were distributed among survivors at Sukkur, Rohri, Pannu Aqil, Kashmore and Shikarpur.

Several other organisations including Sunni Tehreek, Shahbaz Rangers and All Pakistan Memon Federation have also set up relief camps at Ghanta Ghar, Bunder Road and Rohri.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 7^th, 2010.