Pakistan Flood Responses & Way Forward

Pakistan Flood Responses & Way Forward?

Aijaz Ali Khuwaja

Floods wreak havoc on millions of poor rural population in Sindh, Balochistan, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, provinces of Pakistan. In 2010/2011 when devastating floods hit Pakistan, International donors and climate change experts warned government about frequency of floods, heatwaves, drought and related climatic changes. Unfortunately, in Pakistan we have no any emergency plan of urban and rural areas. Flood 2022 has damaged shelter, livelihood and agriculture of the rural areas.

?After current flood emergency situation, now communities are facing livelihood and health related issues. There is strong need to avert public health crisis, restore livelihoods, and provide protection against looming crisis of hunger and food insecurity.?Floods have damaged around 2 million houses, 2000 plus people have been died and thousands injured during emergency and relief operations. Thousands of animals died and perished. 80% agrarian fields in Sindh have been submerged with flood water. As winter season is ahead so government and donors should focus on speeding of relief operations and rehabilitation of flooded communities. With outbreak of malaria, dengue and other water borne diseases, the displaced families will require continuous health support particularly for lactating and pregnant mothers during the process of recovery and rehabilitation.

?According to health department, Government of Sindh, 17,285 cases of malaria have been detected since September and incidence of disease is rapidly increasing. There is need of screening of flooded communities about malaria and dengue. According to a recent report of ‘UN office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs UNOCHA, some 130,000 pregnant women in flood affected families are 'at the risk of a major public health crisis and ‘need urgent health services'. Besides, displacement has disrupted routine immunization and immediate measures are needed to ensure immunization coverage for the children of displaced families. There is need of helping communities to construct their homes should be taken on priority basis. Community should be involved in construction of traditional homes according to household income and expenditure, rather than contracting vendors and construction companies. Flooded communities can provide labour, which will ultimately support them of livelihood.

?There are four major risks, which will be faced by displaced communities in the coming months of winter season;

?1) Health hazards which may result in high number of deaths particularly in children, women, and elder population

2) Hunger & malnutrition which may be caused by higher inflation and low purchasing capacity of the poor displaced families. According to multisector Rapid Assessment, 8.62 million people are 'in crises and emergency phases'. The country already has 3 million tones less wheat production previous year than required consumption need of 29 million tones. Of available stock some 70 percent of wheat is stored in rural households.?The imminent failure of sowing wheat in coming season will result massive shortage of availability in market and compounded with hike in prices may lead to another disaster of hunger and starvation. According to latest report, 96 percent of children above age of 2 are at ' minimum acceptable diet' and 45 percent under 5 are chronically malnourished. With looming hunger crises children, pregnant and lactating mothers are at the highest risk of death and diseases.?

3) Indebtedness cycle in which the poor families may fall due to loss of livelihood and unemployment

4) High dropout of children of displaced communities from schools and psychosocial problems such as depression, anxiety and household violence.

Now when climate has been changed and different calamities will frequently hit our region, so we need proper climate change adaptation, climate smart agriculture and disaster mitigation and management plan for each and every urban city, districts, tehsils and rural villages.

?There is strong need of emergency plan for each urban city and rural areas. There is need of climate change adaptation in real sense to face the situation. Government & civil society with the help of donor community can organize advocacy of communities, government line departments and civil society organizations about the climate change adaptation and climate smart agriculture.?If government not make any pre arrangements then situation will become worse day by day, which ultimately harm everyone. Pakistan’s food basket of rural areas will face climate change, which ultimately affect food security and other related issues.

A full-fledged District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), which address disasters in emergency, relief and rehabilitation operations is required. DDMA must have disaster mapping (social mapping) of all villages and emergency plan, which every union council/villages follow in case of any emergency. Participants asked Sindh government to rehabilitate villages/houses of flooded communities before commencing of winter season.

A transparent mechanism for aid funds utilization and proper disclosure and accountability is required. Civil Society Representatives can be included in each initiative for accountability and involvement of citizens in relief and rehabilitation of communities.

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