A call for help in flood-ravaged Pakistan

[Mass]

A call for help in flood-ravaged Pakistan


Pakistani flood survivors wait their turn to get relief food distributed by naval officials in Sangi Village near Sukkur, in southern Pakistan.
By John Kerry

THIS IS Pakistan’s Katrina. I just returned from that country, where the devastation created by the recent floods was gut-wrenching. Five years after floods washed over the southern United States, Pakistan is suffering from an epic disaster. And we turn away from Pakistan in its hour of need at our own peril.
It’s not just that one-fifth of the country — an area about the size of New England — is submerged. Nor is it that, with weeks left in the monsoon season, it could get worse. More than 1,600 people have been killed, 6 million are homeless, and more than 17 million have been affected in some way.

Those chilling numbers don’t convey what I saw when our helicopter touched down in Multan on the Punjab plains. This is no isolated hamlet, but an ancient city, a district capital with a population of over 1.5 million. And it’s inundated with water.

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So far, the world isn’t keeping up with the challenge. The United States government is doing its part by leading international donor efforts with $200 million so far, including money from the “Kerry-Lugar-Berman’’ aid package for Pakistan that Congress passed last year. Much more needs to be done by foreign governments and private citizens alike.

The danger of the floods extends beyond a very real humanitarian crisis. A stable and secure Pakistan, based on democracy and the rule of law, is in all of our interests. Pakistan has made enormous strides in combating extremism and terrorism — at great sacrifice by its soldiers, police, and citizens. But its ability to keep up the fight requires an effective response to this crisis.


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Finally, we have to be transparent about how we are spending money in Pakistan and tailor our assistance to what Pakistanis want. They need to feel tangible benefits from US aid and see that we are spending our money to help them. Some remain suspicious of US efforts to channel money through the Pakistani government, which they view as corrupt or inadequate.

We have an opportunity with the Kerry-Lugar-Berman aid package to improve our long-term standing and make a real difference — if we communicate effectively and spend efficiently. If we fail to reverse the tide of public opinion, no amount of aid will succeed.

Pakistan’s Katrina has put enormous pressure on the Pakistan government. It will take years and billions of dollars to recover. By helping Pakistan do it right, we can have a positive and lasting impact.

John Kerry is the chairman of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

[YvonneCa]

1. I could only send a little, but...

...I hope it helps.:)

[wisteria]

2. Thanks Mass. I sent a little along too.

It is such a shame this devastation is not being given the same consideration and media air time as other tragic events in recent memory.