Update from Rajanpur

The badly affected town of Rojhan

Thank you for your support so far.  We have collected Rs 14 lacs through TCF and another Rs 21 lacs in cash.  The cash we have received is held with us in trust, and will be spent on immediate relief.  Food packages have cost around Rs 1500, but we are sizing these down to Rs 500 by taking out Nido dried milk etc. 

I have been humbled by the courage and fortitude of the people here.  The fact that the cost of a taxi ride in Singapore equals to enough  money for one week food for a family of 7 in Pakistan - the difference between life and death.  Remember, it will cost Rs 1000 (US$12) to feed a family of 7 per week.

A family camped on the side of a road outside of Rojhan

I have returned to Karachi after a 5 day trip to Rajanpur.

We have distributed food to 600 families and tents to 60, so far.  We tried to make the process transparent by giving ID cards to people before distributing the food.  We gave priority to widows, in order to ensure their safety.  The process, however, wasn't perfect and the distribution took 7 hours.  We are working out a way which better ensures transparency and efficiency.

According to an army briefing, 90% of the population in Rojhan, a subdistrict of Rajanpur, have been affected (270,000 people out of 300,000).  At peak, the river was up to 60 km's wide.  The flood in the river Indus was exacerbated by flash floods from the Suleman Ranges, which lie in the western part of the district.  The water is now receding, but it will take time before people can return.  Their hamlets, crops, and sources of water have disappeared. Most have lost their livestock and stored grain.

The process of receiving food and other aid can become unfair. The more aggressive and powerful ones are getting 2/3 rations while the weaker - women/children - get nothing.  We are looking for a way that we can use army distribution infrastructure.  This makes the process of distribution more efficient and transparent. 

Even though the water is receding, the area is only accessible after wading through 4 feet of water on the access road.  People haven't returned, but are beginning to take day trips to retrieve what they can from what were their homes.  The entire population of 16,000 people in Sonmiani have been affected, and are either living on an embankment that divided Rajanpur district, or with relatives in nearby towns.