The appeal comes after the Canadian MP spent the last few days travelling the country and visiting the flooded areas.
“About four per cent of the Canadian diaspora has come forward to contribute, which is drastically short of the 40 per cent that contributed for Haiti,” he commented.
The main reason for this, Karygiannis claimed, is the Caucasian community’s reservation over contributing to Pakistan, especially in view of the recent acts of terrorism in the country.
According to him, it is the Canadian-Pakistani community that must take charge and run an awareness campaign for the flood victims.
The Canadian people, he said, need to realise the utter devastation caused by the floods, the worst he said he has ever witnessed, including the tsunami, Haiti and Tamil riots.
Currently, Canada has pitched $40.5 million to the overall flood kitty but Karygiannis said the amount is barely sufficient. “I am no expert,” he said, “but the aid required is millions more if not billions and it has to be long-term. It should sustain the affected people once the cameras and first respondents have left.”
On Pakistan’s mantra of trade not aid, Karygiannis responded that the country’s agricultural-based economy has been destroyed by the floods, it would take at least two years, he says, for it to be fertile again. The topic of trade can be brought up then.
Highlighting the negative impact of Pakistan being ignored by the world, Karygiannis said, “the extremists and Taliban are standing by to fill the void of aid and attention not given by the international community.”
In fact, during the earthquake Canada doled out about $130 million, the amount being given now pales in comparison. Karygiannis is going to recommend an additional $20 million in aid which he will propose in the Canadian House of Commons upon his return on Wednesday.
Accompanying Karygiannis were prominent members of the Pakistani community residing in Ontario.
Family doctor and paediatrician Dr Shahnaz Dar, the chief of internal medicine at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, Syed Zaki Ahmed and Farooq Khan, executive director for the North American Muslim Foundation, spent about eight days travelling to parts of the Punjab and Sindh working in make-shift camps to diagnose and treat the displaced as best they could.
“I have seen the worst of Kenya but I never seen such devastation as in the flood victims here,” Dr Dar claimed. While checking on patients in Nowshera, she said the majority of people suffered from diabetes, high blood pressure and water-borne diseases. However, in other areas such as Rahimyar Khan malnourishment was the most significant problem.
“Pakistan is in its infancy once again, the same as it was 63 years ago, the country now needs to be re-nourished,” said a teary-eyed Dr Dar.
“This is not a failed state,” Khan added, “we will stand by Pakistan through this time of need and we will overcome this crisis.”
Also, heading efforts for the victims is GlobalMedic (GM) who among other initiatives is treating patients at three GM-run hospitals and has installed 28 water purification units across three provinces.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 21st, 2010.
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