Authorities “Sleep” as Floods Take Their Toll

Nisar Ali and Dauad Ahmad, Prang Ghar Mohmand Agency

The drizzling began in the early morning of July 28, 2010. By the afternoon, the rain had started, and then came the thunderstorm and the hail. It took only a few minutes for the rivers to fill up with rain water.

Many villages have been destroyed by the floods to the point where it now seems as if no villages had ever been in the area. The continuous rain means that daily life is no longer possible.

Livestock need food and grass, but many of the animals have drowned because there was nobody to help them escape the flood water. About 65 villages have been submerged and demolished by the flood. Some people have been stranded in the middle of the flood as if living on an island and they need food, shelter, clothes and comfort.

Many children became orphans. Many mothers became widows. Many elderly persons were left helpless because none of their carers remained to look after them. But the government in our province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, KPK, was busy sleeping.

The administration was not able to concentrate on rescuing the people affected. They have no modern equipment or techniques, no helicopters or proper boats. They have no military forces available. If they had enough army troops, boats and skilled rescuers our lives would not have been destroyed. The government of KPK should have a system to warn of flooding and a programme to evacuate those affected.