Urgent cry for help as death toll rises from Pakistan flooding

[steve2470]

Source: CNN

Islamabad, Pakistan (CNN) -- As an umbrella group of humanitarian entities called for "urgent international support" Monday in flood-ravaged Pakistan, the United States was sending materials to provide shelter for almost 47,000 displaced Pakistanis.

The U.S. Embassy said that a cargo aircraft carrying 530 rolls of heavy-duty waterproof and fire-resistant plastic sheeting for use as temporary shelters was sent by the United States to Karachi, Pakistan, on Monday, a day after another flight ferried 240 rolls of plastic sheeting to Karachi.

"Our experience has shown that plastic sheeting is urgently needed for temporary shelters, and we know it is urgently needed in Sindh as the flood waters continue to move south," Ambassador Anne Patterson said in a written statement. "It will be supplied along with locally purchased materials that can be easily moved when people are able to return home."

The embassy said the sheeting material will provide dry shelter for 46,800 people in Sindh province. It was going to a logistics hub in Sindh for distribution by local and international organizations.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/08/16/pakistan.floods/?hpt=T2

[Turborama]

1. K&R Things need to start moving a lot quicker, there are several stories of unrest already

As this report testifies: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=4505085&mesg_id=4505363

Thanks for posting

[aquart]

2. The roads and bridges are gone.

And landing fields, too, I'm assuming. I saw pictures of food loaded on donkeys. That is too slow a process for that many people.

We are going to need, as we need them now but don't have them, inventive ways of moving lots of food fast into impossible places.

Because this is only the beginning.

[Turborama]

12. "These floods have really dislocated everything,"

I think Pakistan's high commissioner to Britain put it best when he said that. He also said, this...

Failure to provide relief and reconstruction would be exploited by Islamist militants fighting to overthrow the state -- bringing with it instability which would engulf the region.

"If something happens to Pakistan, the whole region will be plunged into Balkanisation. You can't stop it there."

Both quotes are in the articles I posted here.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4506313

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4506341

I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on the full articles, if you've got time...

[aquart]

14. They can't merely reconstruct.

They have to assume these floods are the new normal. Everything they build has to take the new flood plain into account. That's damned expensive planning. The whole region IS going to be plunged into crisis.

Question: Why do they believe the Taliban won't be starving as well?

[OhioChick]

3. K&R n/t

[OhioChick]

4. Urgent cry for help as death toll rises from Pakistan flooding

Source: CNN.com

August 16, 2010

Islamabad, Pakistan (CNN) -- As an umbrella group of humanitarian entities called for "urgent international support" Monday in flood-ravaged Pakistan, the United States was sending materials to provide shelter for almost 47,000 displaced Pakistanis.

The U.S. Embassy said that a cargo aircraft carrying 530 rolls of heavy-duty waterproof and fire-resistant plastic sheeting for use as temporary shelters was sent by the United States to Karachi, Pakistan, on Monday, a day after another flight ferried 240 rolls of plastic sheeting to Karachi.

"Our experience has shown that plastic sheeting is urgently needed for temporary shelters, and we know it is urgently needed in Sindh as the flood waters continue to move south," Ambassador Anne Patterson said in a written statement. "It will be supplied along with locally purchased materials that can be easily moved when people are able to return home."

The embassy said the sheeting material will provide dry shelter for 46,800 people in Sindh province. It was going to a logistics hub in Sindh for distribution by local and international organizations.


Read more: http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/08/16/pakistan.floods/?hpt=T1#fbid=d4TF_w4M5kH&wom=false

---

With video

[DonCoquixote]

5. Golden chance

To do genuine good and undermine Osama Ben Ladin better than any way could, at one tenth the price.

[nyy1998]

10. +1

Couldn't have said this better. Very effective tool to do two things at once: 1. help some ppl in dire straits, 2. help show the humanitarian side that serves as the anti-Al Queda message

[Turborama]

6. Report on AC360 live now!

After 2 weeks!! Better late than never though, I suppose.

[ChromeFoundry]

7. Glad to hear this is finally getting some attention n/t

[OhioChick]

9. Interesting read:

Why Western donors are snubbing Pakistan after giving to Haiti

"He believes the media is partly to blame for failing to adequately cover the impact of the floods. After the Haitian earthquake, correspondents from almost every news outlet were dispatched to the island, and Canadian broadcasters worked together to air a fundraising telecast.

And he wondered if the reaction to the floods has been impacted by the fact that Pakistan is a Muslim country."


http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/why-western-donors-are-snubbing-pakistan-after-giving-to-haiti/article1675172/

[Turborama]

13. Thanks for that, it should be posted as an OP somewhere.... n/t

[CocaNova]

8. K&R

[myrna minx]

11. K&R n/t