2010 Pakistan flooding
UPDATE Pakistan floods - CBM rebuilding lives and livelihoods
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© CBM / Grossmann
Flood waters travelled more than 100 kms to drench and destroy cotton, wheat and fruit and vegetable crops throughout Punjab Province - known as the bread basket of Pakistan
Along with providing the necessities of life, such as food, water, shelter and medical care, CBM and its local partners are planning to rebuild the homes, schools and livelihoods of thousands of flood survivors.
Uncertain future
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©CBM / Grossmann
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Despite losing the use of his left leg to a farming accident 20 year ago, Muhammed Ismial says he lived a very good life before the floods. But the floods destroyed his crops and washed away his equipment. He has no money to rebuild and wonders what kind of future his children and grandchildren will have.
“We had a good life before the floods. We had our own business, our own home, land, crops and plenty of food, but all that is lost now. I'm not sure how long it will be before we can rebuild, or if we will be able too.”
Muhammed Ismial's story isn't unique, millions of people in Pakistan have lost everything. But his story does have a twist. Muhammed is a person living with a disability that was completely self-sufficient. He and his two sons built up a small acreage of cotton and wheat and established a profitable sawmill that provided for the family of 13. But now he worries that his disability will make him a burden to his children.
Muhammed Ismial's story isn't unique, millions of people in Pakistan have lost everything. But his story does have a twist. Muhammed is a person living with a disability that was completely self-sufficient. He and his two sons built up a small acreage of cotton and wheat and established a profitable sawmill that provided for the family of 13. But now he worries that his disability will make him a burden to his children.
"Now that I have lost everything, now that my children has lost everything, I will be completely dependent on them for my survival. I only hope when the water recedes one of my sons will be able to restore the crops and the other can find work as a day labourer to support the entire family while we rebuild
45 per cent of the labour force in Pakistan relied on agriculture as their sole source of income. 21 per cent of the countries GDP came from cotton, wheat, sugarcane and fruit and vegetables crops, much of which has been destroyed.
The World Bank warns the economic impact of the floods cold be felt for years due to massive crop damage and the ensuing food shortages.
The World Bank warns the economic impact of the floods cold be felt for years due to massive crop damage and the ensuing food shortages.
CBM is helping rebuild lives and livelihoods
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©CBM / Grossmann
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Millions of Pakistani residents now call Internally Displaced Person (IDP) camps home, and rely on the government or aid agencies, like CBM, for food, water, shelter and medical attention.
Pakistan is now a tale of two disasters, depending on where you live.
In the north, aid agencies such as CBM are focusing on rehabilitation. Receding floodwaters and the end of the monsoon season have allowed those displaced by flooding to return in large numbers to the devastation wreaked by the flood waters on their homes and fields.
CBM and our local partners are planning to repair or rebuild homes, while providing seeds, tools and equipment so farmer like Muhammed can clear the debris from their fields and get a crop planted as soon as possible.
In the south, it's a struggle just to keep up with the relief effort. The tail end of the monsoon rains combined with the barrage of water rushing south towards the Arabian Sea are causing fresh flooding, displacement and destruction.
The United Nations says the number of people affected by flooding has risen to more than 21 million.
In the north, aid agencies such as CBM are focusing on rehabilitation. Receding floodwaters and the end of the monsoon season have allowed those displaced by flooding to return in large numbers to the devastation wreaked by the flood waters on their homes and fields.
CBM and our local partners are planning to repair or rebuild homes, while providing seeds, tools and equipment so farmer like Muhammed can clear the debris from their fields and get a crop planted as soon as possible.
In the south, it's a struggle just to keep up with the relief effort. The tail end of the monsoon rains combined with the barrage of water rushing south towards the Arabian Sea are causing fresh flooding, displacement and destruction.
The United Nations says the number of people affected by flooding has risen to more than 21 million.
In for the long-haul
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©CBM
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One of CBM's local partners, CHEF, provided food packages for residents of an IDP camp located on the grounds of the Abdul Razak Government Boys Degree College in Karachi The camp is home to more than 8,000 IDPs, 180 of whom are persons with disabilities.
CBM has been working in Pakistan for more than 30 years. This meant we were perfectly positioned to respond to the disaster from day one.
Along with our local partners, CBM is providing food, water, shelter and medical services to more than 25,000 people in need in some of hardest hit communities. Many of our programs are targeting people living with a disability, their families and their communities.
But it doesn't stop there. Together, we are planning to rebuild more than 1,000 homes and seven schools damaged or destroyed by the floodwaters. We are also planning to build a new community hospital in the northern rural areas where no hospital existed in the past.
CBM is committed to helping Pakstiani residents like Muhammed and his two sons rebuild their lives, but we can't do it without your support. Your gift to CBM will enable us to provide much needed relief and rehabilitation in Pakistan or the surrounding region.
Together we can do more.
Along with our local partners, CBM is providing food, water, shelter and medical services to more than 25,000 people in need in some of hardest hit communities. Many of our programs are targeting people living with a disability, their families and their communities.
But it doesn't stop there. Together, we are planning to rebuild more than 1,000 homes and seven schools damaged or destroyed by the floodwaters. We are also planning to build a new community hospital in the northern rural areas where no hospital existed in the past.
CBM is committed to helping Pakstiani residents like Muhammed and his two sons rebuild their lives, but we can't do it without your support. Your gift to CBM will enable us to provide much needed relief and rehabilitation in Pakistan or the surrounding region.
Together we can do more.
Contact cbm.org
If you have a question or comment regarding this or any other article on cbm.org, please contact Brian Hatchell at .
Related links
- http://agingdisability.blog.com - Age and disability task force blog
