Eid in a Camp

Hisam Khan, Class 8^th.

Today is the first day of Eid. I can hear children laughing and playing everywhere, the elders are hugging each other and wishing each other a Happy Eid, people are inviting each other for dinners and lunches. In this time of joy I am feeling very uneasy, it is not because I am sick or that I am not feeling well it is because of my visit to one of the camps which has been set up for the flood victims. One day before Eid I visited a flood relief camp in Charsadda. When I saw the condition those people were living in my heart filled up with sorrow. I saw a woman who had lost her son and husband in the flood and I could not bear the pain I saw in her eyes. The people living in the camps have lost their homes and the flood water took away their life savings in a matter of minutes. Most of the kids were suffering from various stomach problems and vomiting. The elders of all the families living in the camp were running all over in search of food.  These people had absolutely no concern about Eid or its celebrations, and why would they be concerned, they have no food to eat, no roof on their head and clothes to wear. The children at the camp had a look of fear and sadness on their faces instead of smiles and happiness. The government and NGO’s are trying to help these people but help is needed on such a large scale that it has made this effort a very tough job. The only way we can overcome this calamity is if all the people of Pakistan join hands to help all those affected by the floods. Please help these people to get back on their feet.  

Eid after Flood

Muhammad Ajmal.

My name is Muhammad Ajmal and the recent rains have destroyed my house. My family and I have been forced to leave our house and live in a very small rented apartment. There are quite a few people in my family and there is very little space for all of us to fit in the apartment. We do not even have a constant source of income at the moment. My father is very old but he still works in his condition and we are not getting any form of help from anywhere and no one is ready to give us relief. Eid for us was a very normal day because unlike other people we have nothing to celebrate about. Our concern at the moment is how food will be put on the table and not how we will celebrate Eid.

Flood Vicitims

Fazal Kareem, Pakha Gulam.

 My name is Fazal Kareem and I belong to Pakha Gulam. Recent floods have indeed caused a lot of damage but the heavy rainfalls which came before the flood caused many of the mud houses to collapse as well. My house was one of the mud houses which fell due to the rain and because of this we have been forced to live under the open skies without a roof on our heads. One of our relatives suggested that people are registering at G.P.S School no.1 for aid and shelter and that we should also go there. When we got there every one started staring at us and looked at us as if we do not belong here because we belonged to another village and that village was not hit by the flood. Most of the people who were there had lost their houses due to the floods; we have also lost our home just like them and have an equal right to be provided relief and aid. After spending a few days at the camp the government announced that all schools should be vacated as soon as possible so we had to pick up the little that we had and left the camp to go and live with one of our relatives. It’s unfortunate that despite the governments orders there are still a lot of people who are living forcefully in other schools and aid is still being given to them. We did not get a chance to celebrate Ramzan or Eid and we still don’t have a home to go to.

  

Happiness and Sarrow

Shakar Ullah Sahabzada, 9^th class.

Happiness and sorrow are both a part of every human’s life. It is your friends and family who support you and stand by you in times of happiness and sorrow. It is the sign of a true Muslim to help their Muslim brothers in times of need.  The rains that started right before Ramzan caused a massive flood and destroyed the homes of millions of people. The flood came so suddenly, that people did not even get the chance to protect their belongings and reach a safe area.  The flood did not stop for anything in its path and in a matter of days destroyed thousands of homes and made millions of people homeless in all four provinces of the country. Countless people lost their lives, animals and essentials.

It is the duty of every Muslim to help those who have been affected by the flood in what ever way we can. Everyone has the right to celebrate Eid whether they are rich or poor, old or young. We should all stand together and try to do whatever we can for these people to reduce their sorrow on this Eid and give them a little happiness in this sad time. 

Eid in the Relief Camp

Muhammad Sharukh Jamil, Class 8^th.

Our house use to be in Sadar Garhi and we spent this Eid with a great deal of difficulty. Eid use to be a very special event in our village. We use to celebrate Eid by meeting our relatives, preparing sweets, wearing new clothes and playing with other children. We also got money from our parents and we went to the carnival and bought ourselves new toys and sweets.

This year we spent our Eid in a relief camp and it was very difficult for me and my family. We did not have any money or food and no relatives to celebrate our Eid with. I also fell sick on Eid day and I couldn’t even get out of the tent we are living in.  This year our Eid was full of sorrow and sadness. The government and NGO’s did spent time with us on Eid and gave us some food but they were unable to give us any happiness. Our Eid was very sad. 

Bad Times for Swat Valley Residents

Maaz Ahmad, Class 9, Elum Valley Public School, Swat

The monsoon rains have devastated the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of northwest Pakistan, with the worst-affected districts including Swat, Shangla, Chitral, Dir Lower, Dir Upper, Nowshehra, Charsada, Kohat and Dera Ismail Khan.

The Marghzar Valley in Swat has been badly hit. Seven people, including two children, are reported dead and at least 24 houses, three watermills and a mosque have been washed away.

The valley is now cut off from the rest of the country – four bridges and connecting highways have been totally destroyed there – and people are facing severe problems in finding food and getting it back to their homes.

Along with other infrastructure, the flooding has damaged tourist facilities including the famous Sufaid Mehel Hotel in the Marghzar Valley. This will impact badly on the area’s future tourism prospects.

People are trying to rebuild the infrastructure by themselves.

Both government and private schools remain closed due to flood damage. The education sector in the Swat Valley has gone through very difficult times in recent times – first an invasion by the Taleban, and now the floods.

According to rough estimates, 75 per cent of crops in Marghzar, Islampur, Pul Bhandhi, Gul Bhandhi, Chitiorh, Saleem Khan and Gulzar Tangey have been washed away, causing losses of millions of rupees to local farmers.

There is now an acute shortage of food including vegetables in the area. The Pakistani army is providing foodstuffs to affected populations, but much more is needed.

Some traders have taken this opportunity to profit from the situation by raising the prices of essential food items beyond what people can afford. The government does not seem to be acting to curb these criminals.

Obtaining medical treatment and purchasing medicine is also out of question for most people, as medication is in short supply and the prices are high. The few remaining rupees that flood victims have in their pockets are not enough to buy food with. Patients suffering from fevers, coughs and skin diseases do not have access to proper treatment and are in poor condition.

There are no vaccination facilities to prevent disease and there is a desperate need for water filtration systems in the Swat Valley, as the floods have washed away access to clean water sources. The only resources left are tube wells, but these cannot be used as electricity is unavailable to drive the pumps. People are therefore drinking unhygienic water, which may produce a large rise in waterborne diseases.

People in the area have been complaining that no government officials have yet visited the Swat Valley. They say morale would be boosted if politicians simply visited the area and expressed sympathy with the flood victims. There is also a sense that United Nations agencies, government departments and local communities need to collaborate closely if they are to deliver better results.

Peshawar Schools House Flood Refugees

Junaid Alam in Peshawar

More than 3,000 internally displaced people, IDPs, have found refuge in flood relief camps set up in government schools in the city of Peshawar. 

Nearly 2,000 people have been killed and some 16.8 million affected by devastating floods that have swept through Pakistan. 

A total of 3,280 IDPs from Peshawar suburbs including Jaba Daudzai, Akbar Pura, Banda Shaikh Ismail Khail, Lala Kaley Tarnaw and Agra Sardaryab have been accommodated in flood relief camps set up in government schools in Peshawar city. 

In Peshawar’s Government High School No 1, a total of 641 women, 427 men and 1,053 children from 251 families have been housed, while 176 women, 115 men and 473 children from 113 families are now in Government High School No 2. The Jogiwarha Boys’ Middle School has provided 68 families with temporary accommodation and the Government Middle School for Girls is sheltering 12 more. 

A relief camp in the Government Girls Highs School Yousaf Abad is housing 62 displaced families and 22 families are living in the Zaryab Colony Government Middle School and Government Primary School Yousaf Abad. 

Over 900 flood-affected individuals have taken refuge in half-built houses in the Khazana district of Peshawar. 

Government departments and NGOs are providing the IDPs with food items and other essential items like clothes, medicines and cooking utensils.