(Photos by Food for the Hungry)
Pakistan (MNN) ― Dozens of Pakistani villages are being vacated ahead of another surge of water threatening more areas south of the current flood zone.
20 million people are already affected by the water, and the threat of disease hangs over the most vulnerable survivors.
Leena Samuel with Food For the Hungry spoke to us from Islamabad after surveying several villages in Rahim Yarkhan, in the worst hit part of Punjab. "As the flooding is moving further south, we're looking to respond in Punjab province with similar sort of things. Right now, it's still the emergency phase where just the basic necessities need to be met. Being able to provide food and non-food items and shelter is really critical at the moment."
News images put the extent of the disaster in a framework through satellite pictures, but being there in person was different. Samuel was struck by the images of houses that represented interrupted lives. "You could see maybe the tops of the houses, most of them already flattened. And then in one area, [you could see] seeing the top of the fencing that was clearly for a school, and an arch that said the name of the school on it. But the rest of it was completely underwater--at least five to seven feet of water."
River levels are still rising in some areas, and rescue teams are struggling to reach those in need.
Samuel says many of the flood victims are still waiting for food, shelter and clean water. "We went to a few communities that haven't been reached with aid at all. They just set up camp right on the river bank, with whatever they've been able to salvage--which was hardly anything. There's overwhelming need, and I just saw a small part of that... It really was quite overwhelming."
As soon as the flooding began, Food for the Hungry's partner, the Interfaith League Against Poverty (I-LAP), began working in the northwest part of the country. The scale of the wreckage means they are expanding their project. "They've already been responding to the needs of about 8000 families through the support of food for the hungry and other international partners. They've set up two camps made up of 250 families each, providing them with tents, hygiene kits (which include soap, towels and toothbrushes and toothpaste), and kitchen kits with pots, pans and dishes."
The amount of response flooding into Haiti was heartening to agencies like FH. However, it's a different story for Pakistan, and it could be related to the problems with the insurgents. "I think the humanitarian community was slow to respond. I think a lot of that hesitation is due to security incidents that organizations have already faced in the past and the fear of that. I think the insecurity is causing many humanitarian groups to pause before coming in."
Waters will be slow to recede. The fields that would contain food are under water. It could be up to a year before residents are able to sow and harvest new crops and feed themselves again. Samuel says, "The one hope we have is the fact that we serve a God who is sovereign. And as we walk together with these communities and show them Christ's love through action, we trust that they will see the hope in that, and trust that He will guide and guard the response."
Pray for the relief teams as they will stretch themselves to the limit in reaching out as the hands and feet of Christ. Pray that those who can help would respond with generosity, showing the love of Christ in a tangible way. Click here for details.
