Situation

In the last week of July’10 devastating floods, due to heavy rains (the likes last recorded in Pakistan in 1928), damaged thousands of villages and many towns located mostly up to 4-15 kms both sides of the River Indus. The river spans north to south across Pakistan. More then 1,600 people were killed and more then 20 million affected.

Ripe crops of cotton, rice and sugarcane were destroyed (more then 17 million acres of agricultural land were submerged in water). Houses were washed away. The livestock i.e. cows, goats, sheep, camels, donkeys, horses and buffaloes drowned, fish and poultry farms were wiped out.

People took shelter mostly on embankments and highways, in the open. Some reached nearby towns and cities, located at safe distances.

Immediate needs of food were taken care of, mostly, by the people from the nearby villages/towns that were unaffected. Government, local organizations, UN and other international agencies food supplies later reached the affectees. Medical camps, in some areas, continue to be managed by active members of the community, NGOs, and other volunteers, together with the Govt.

By Aug’11 unprecedented rains flooded many districts in the South East of Sindh, mostly those areas that were unaffected in the last floods. Extensive damage has been caused mostly by a defective drain known as the “left bank out fall drain”. It was designed to drain saline water from upper Sindh down to the sea, but due to the defective outfall there is always back flow (upto 40 km inland), which was made worse due to the heavy rains. OPP-RTI and OPP-OCT partners are involved in rescue and relief efforts – support of medicines for the medical camps has been initiated.

Partners efforts

OPP-RTI and OPP-OCT partners in many places mostly in South Punjab and Sindh continue to provide the needed rehabilitation services in the respective areas. Relief camps providing food, medicines and where possible shelter, were earlier managed in the affected villages, towns and cities across the country. As the water receded and people returned to their villages, partners are now also involved in rehabilitation i.e support for roofing for a room/house, provision of hand pumps and managing health centers/mobile medical camps reaching the villages. By Nov’10 seeds and fertilizers were made available (by OPP-OCT) as a one time support. Support for setting up of schools in the villages continues. Due to the recent floods partners are again involved in relief activities.

Support being extended

Medicines for medical camps:

OPP-RTI and OPP-OCT earlier provided support, for medicines, to nineteen partner/organisations in the most affected areas . Homeless International, ACHR and Misereor support for medicines has been very valuable. In South Punjab in Jampur, Kot Addu, Layyah and D.G Khan, in Sindh in Ghotki, Saeedabad, Khairpur, Kandiaro, Hyderabad, Shikarpur, Kashmore, Tando Md. Khan and Thatta and in Balochistan in Jafferabad support for medicines was provided. More then 50,000 families were reached.

Medical camps /centres continue to be managed by four partners. With one medical camp by one partner, on average, treating upto 100 patients a day – some partners are managing medical camps daily, while others on average 2-3 days a week - with about 1,000 patients being treated in a month .Doctors / medical technicians continue to be arranged by the partners, providing voluntary services.

For the recent floods (Aug’11) lately 14 partner organizations have been supported with medicines for treating more then 12,000 patients. 2,000 mosquito nets were also provided. Getz Pharma’s support for medicines and mosquito nets and Pfizer’s support of discounted medicines has been very valuable.

Roofing for shelter:

By Oct’10 as the water receeded people settled back in their damaged villages . Support for shelter i.e roofing components for a room of 14’x15’/house (costing upto Rs. 14,000/-) and rubble removal kits (for use by 6-10 houses costing upto Rs. 4,500/-) was initiated . Support has been planned to be extended to upto 15,000 houses . In villages near 2 cities and 17 towns thru 17 partner organisations work is in progress (South Punjab – IDSP in Layyah, GDO in D.G.Khan, ADO in Kot Addu and TF in Jampur, Sindh – HWA in Ghotki, MES in Khairpur-Kingri and Gambat, GSF in Sobhodero, IRADO in Mithiani, ICDO in Moro, SSSWA in Nawabshah, AMRDO in Saeedabad, SRDO in Matiari/Bubak, VWS in Daulatpur, SEED in Thatta and HDO in Hyderabad, Khyber Pakhtoon Khwa (KP) – BDO in Shangla and AJK – SDS in Bagh).

People are completing mud walls/pillars. Roofing over a room is in progress, for 5,899 houses spread over 641 villages, this work is complete, for 1,005 more houses work is in progress, for others work is scheduled to begin. The roofing components for Punjab/Sindh are 2 girders, 12-16 bamboo/wooden battens, reed matting, plastic sheeting and rope, for KP and AJK its tin sheets (10 nos. 14’x2’-8”).

In most cases women have completed the mud walls/pillars and plaster with men fixing the roofing components. In Punjab/Sindh two types of roofs have been supported as per the tradition of the areas 1) the slope roof ,needing 1 girder (16’-17’) and 18-20 bamboos (20’ each) and 2) the flat roof, needing 2 girders (16’-17’) and 12-16 bamboos (16’-20’). In some cases houses have been able to retrieve girders or bamboos from the rubble of their houses, so have voluntarily taken only the needed roofing components. Therefore more houses have been supported with roofing over a room/house. Effort has been made to support maximum number of houses. Partners have organized village committees in each village for joint survey, selection and management of work. Documentation and accounts have been meticulously maintained. Audit of the phase-I project for roofing for 2,926 houses was completed this period (Jul'-Sept'11).

Misereor, ACHR and HI – MRDF’s timely support for the roofing and hand pumps has been very valuable.

Due to the unprecedented rains in Sindh since Aug’11 in some places the supported shelter has been damaged. Mostly mud walls developed cracks and in parts these were washed away. An assessment shows that 8% houses have been damaged. The roofing in most cases has remained intact with additional supports/pillars. In some cases people have dismantled the roof, to be used in rebuilding. Already repairs and reconstruction have begun. An aspect that kept the houses safe was the raising of the floor level upto a hieght of about 3 feet, this now has become an essential for the program.

There are now requests to extend the shelter support for the villages affected by the recent floods. Surveys have been initiated by partners.

Handpumps:

As people settled in their villages, by Dec’10 support for replacement/repair of handpumps (costing about Rs.3,000-7,000) was undertaken. One handpump is needed for about 6-10 houses. Provision of 135 new handpumps and repairs of 23 are complete, spread over 38 villages in Jampur, DG Khan, Layyah, Kingri, Ghotki, Daulatpur, Moro, Saeedabad and Hyderabad. Provision of more handpumps is planned thru partners MES, VWS, HWA, AMRDO, ICDO, HDO, GDO, TF and IDSP. In many places people have managed to repair existing handpumps as well as install new ones on self help while many other agencies/NGOs have also provided support.

For the recent floods lately support for 5 hand pumps has been extended to partner SRDO in Shahdadpur - Sanghar.

Schools in villages:

Before the floods schools and medical facilities were non existent in most of the villages. Effort is being made to set up schools in the villages. Local educated youths are being identified, motivated and facilitated to start a school. Small stipend of upto Rs. 2,000/month has been mobilized (contributed by individuals) for upto 20 schools, 100 schools are planned. In 5 places, Layyah, Khairpur - Kingri, Ghotki, Moro and Hyderabad total 17 small schools have been initiated by partners. For two more schools requests are being processed. For the schools support for roofing over a room of 16’x20’ and a years stipend for the teacher is being extended.Course books, floor matting and black boards have been arranged by the partners. Thousand copies of two course books (of the Sindh text book board), that are unavailable in the market, were earlier acquired from the printers, as needed these are being provided to partners.

Seeds and fertilizers:

By Nov’10 partner OPP-OCT extended support for seeds and fertilizers for 5,119 small farmers (costing upto Rs. 3,500-4,500/acre). Support was provided to small farmers with 1-3 acres. Cultivation over total 12,000 acres was supported thru 10 partner ogranisations. Misereor’s timely support was very valuable. OPP-OCT continues to support the flood affected families, with interest free credit for vegetable growing. Since Mar’11 support for livestock provision reaching upto 2,000 families continues thru a PPAF program.

For the recent floods support is being planned.

FLOODS PRESENTATION