A million refugees urgently need shelter, food and water
Pakistan floods 2011: after 6 months, recovery still a distant dream - photo gallery
It has been six months since the 2011-12 monsoon rains caused severe flooding in Sindh, affecting nearly five million people.
After the floods, people have lost seed stock, standing crops, livestock and other productive assets in the floods, and they have fewer labor opportunities than before. Now families are finding it difficult to obtain basic items. Their way of coping includes eating less for a meal and having fewer meals per day, and obtaining food through credit or borrowing. This means: people are going hungry.
Most of the 1.8 million people who were made homeless by the floods have been able to return to their villages. But in many places flood water is still standing. This not only undermines the potential for planting Rabi crops (normally in November and December) but also delays early recovery programs. The endless row of makeshift tents may no longer be seen along the roadside, but most people are still struggling without proper shelter.
Oxfam is helping people rebuild their lives. In Kareem Bux Sanjrani, in Sanghar, for instance, we are assisting flood-affected families in meeting their immediate, minimum food needs. The program includes conditional cash grants, cash-for-work and vouchers. Cash transfers such as these have been identified by Oxfam and our partners as the best way to assist families in meeting their urgent food needs without further depleting their assets. We are also providing animal fodder and kitchen sets.
Villagers collect their free animal fodder from Oxfam at a distribution point organized with Oxfam's local partner SAFWCO (Sindh Agricultural and Forestry Workers Cooperative Organization), in the village of Kareem Bux Sanjrani in Shahdadpur, Sanghar.
A villager registers to get free animal fodder from Oxfam at a distribution point organized with Oxfam's local partner SAFWCO (Sindh Agricultural and Forestry Workers Cooperative Organization), in the village of Kareem Bux Sanjrani in Shahdadpur, Sanghar.
Pathani lost her job as a day laborer when the fields she worked in were inundated with flood water. She not only lost her income but some livestock as well. She still has three buffaloes and has received animal fodder through Oxfam’s EFSL program. “When the buffaloes are well fed, my family will be well fed,” she says.
Six months after the floods, Chungul, 30, and her husband are sharing a small room with their 5 children. She explains: “Life is tough, we only have one room, the rest of the house collapsed. My husband is a farmer but will not receive any income as there is still no crop to harvest.”
Chungul talks about how food consumption patterns have changed since the floods of 2011. “There has been a rise in food prices because crops have been destroyed and only a limited amount is available in the market. We also lost our own anaaj (crops) and didn't get a chance to salvage anything. Now we eat very carefully, barely two meals a day, because we don't know when our next meal will come so we try to make food supplies last. We are grateful to God for the little we have.”
Seema Bibi, 33, has two children. She says: “When the floods came, everything was washed away and our biggest concern was saving our lives. One month ago we returned to the debris of our houses. Our biggest concern now is rebuilding our lives. We’re left with nothing, we even brought back the tent we were taking shelter under and have set it up here. We need help with material to rebuild our homes: the earth (mud) is still wet and cannot be used to make a house.”
Women take part in a hygiene training session, with Oxfam and local partner SAFWCO (Sindh Agricultural and Forestry Workers Cooperative Organization), in the village of Kareem Bux Sanjrani in Shahdadpur, Sanghar.
Jannat, 55, has six children. She says: “I had four acres of cotton and it was almost ready to be picked. Then the floods came and washed it all away – our hard work gone! My husband and I are both farmers but now the land is inundated and we are waiting for the water to go down before we can plant again.” Jannat’s husband Mohammad adds: “We’ve never experienced such a flood in our lives. We were always able to support our family but for the first time in our lives now we need outside help.”
Women take part in a training session with Oxfam and local partner RDF (Rural Development Foundation of Pakistan) in the village of Hashim Memon, in Tando Allah Yar district.
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