Floods: helping people resettle

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Floods: helping people resettle

THE post-flood scenario in Sindh is highly depressive: areas affected by floods are still submerged. Millions of poor people have been affected by sudden inundation. 

It is widely believed that Pakistan has suffered the worst floods in its history. Such large-scale displacement of the population has never been witnessed since 1947. 

The displaced people have lost all their belongings and have suffered tremendous losses on account of livestock, agriculture, poultry and have lost their bread and butter. This psychological trauma has inflicted enormous pain upon the minds of individuals of all ages. 

No doubt the nation has shown remarkable unity in these hours of great trial. Hundreds of schools in the flood-affected areas have been destroyed. This requires large-scale rehabilitation. 

Thousands of children have not been able to attend their schools this summer. Now that the waters are receding and the students are returning to their areas, they will require books and uniforms. 

Their poor parents will not be in a position to provide them with new books and uniforms at this point in time. Some NGOs are playing a good role in uplifting the affected people but their welfare activities must continue till flood victims are finally settled. 

The government should announce welfare programmes for the people of the affected areas to provide free seeds, fertiliser and pesticides in order to support the doomed agricultural sector. 

The Zarai Tarraqiati Bank should also announce pro-farmer measures such as provision of agricultural instruments on interest-free loans, to be paid in installments in five years. 

The topmost responsibility of the government should be to rebuild all road networks and repair health units, with free provision of medicines. 

DR PERVEZ AHMED SHAR Khairpur Mirs 

Psychological needs

BESIDES food, medicines and general rehabilitation, we must not overlook the psychological needs of the flood-affected children. 

A child exposed to any horrible sight is likely to carry the image in his mind for a long time and suffer subsequent psychosomatic effects. These effects are often lessened if a child belongs to a well-to-do family and has parental guidance and other healthy activities in his life, but a child who suffered the horror of floods, saw them with his own eyes and has to constantly live in the surroundings will surely be much more affected. 

He will grow into an adult with one or more harmful mental traits. There are thousands of children who come into this category. What is being done for them? 

We all know that our children are the future of our country. It is they who would shape the destiny of Pakistan. The future already seems to be bleak because of lack of proper educational system in the country, but the total lack of education among children living in slums, or belonging to parents who are extremely poor, is alarming, to say the least. 

Over and above, the children who have been hit and displaced by the recent floods face a bleak future. Authorities, humanitarian agencies and psychiatrists should take immediate steps to rehabilitate these children. A team of psychologists and psychiatrists should be sent to all affected villages to look after the mental health of the unfortunate children and also adults. 

Such doctors may also form their own teams and go to help as volunteers. Stars are only visible when there is darkness. Doctors, please be the stars.