My comment is live on the World News Network on August 23,2010 on the Subject:"Pakistan braced for more floods "-Irish Times

With best compliments,
B.N.Singh.

Subject:"Pakistan braced for more floods "-Irish Times


Bishwa Nath Singh from Dalmianagar (Bihar),India

Pakistan has badly suffered with worst floods in decades that have toppled villages and bridges, ripped apart roads, killed at least 1,600 people, made more than four million homeless and raised concerns that militants will exploit the misery and chaos .Saleh Farooqui, director general of the disaster management authority in southern Sindh province of Pak.has revealed floods have hit at least four districts, including urban areas, forcing about 200,000 people to flee for higher ground in the last 24 hours. The Pak.officials expect the floodwaters will recede nationwide in the next few days as the last river torrents empty into the Arabian Sea, But when that happens, millions of Pakistanis will almost certainly want the government, which was already constrained by a fragile economy before the flood, to quickly come up with homes and compensation for the loss of livestock and crops. The Pak.Govt. has been accused of moving too slowly and Islamist charities, some with suspected links to militant groups, have moved rapidly to provide relief to Pakistanis, already frustrated with their leaders' track record on the economy, security, poverty and by chronic power shortages. Pakistan has said it would freeze some development projects in order to divert resources to flood relief and reconstruction. People have also cut through dikes and roads hoping to divert the water away from their homes. Half a million people are living in about 5,000 schools in flood-hit areas of Pakistan where poor hygiene and sanitation, along with cramped quarters and the stifling heat, provide fertile ground for potentially fatal diseases such as cholera. The United Nations has warned that up to 3.5 million children could be in danger of contracting deadly diseases carried through contaminated water and insects. The United States, eager to ensure stability in a frontline state in the fight against militancy, has led a chorus of aid pledges and provided helicopters for rescue operations . The International Monetary Fund & EU said they would review shortly. We are happy to learn that Pakistan has agreed to accept USD 5 million Indian aid for flood victims following prod by the US, has claimed that the move has enhanced its diplomatic image since refusal would have gone against its insistence on resumption of dialogue. Pakistan recently accepted India's offer to provide USD 5 million for the millions of victims of the devastating floods that have swept the country. About 150,000 Pakistanis were forced to move to higher ground as floodwaters from a freshly swollen Indus River submerged dozens more towns and villages in the south U.N. humanitarian operations spokesman Maurizio Giuliano said tents and plastic sheets had been delivered to one million people and now more were on the way for another 2.4 million..There are already over 38,000 cases of acute diarrhoea. A major disease breakout would cause another crisis and impose new demands on already stretched humanitarian workers. NATO said recently that it would provide ships and aircraft to transport aid to Pakistan, a day after Islamabad warned that militants were trying to exploit the disaster. The U.N. has issued an appeal for $459 million of aid to help Pakistan, of which Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said about 60 percent had been pledged. The EU foreign affairs chief will also urge countries next month to support trade breaks for Pakistan as worries grow about the impact of the floods on the stability of a nation fighting its own battle
against Islamists. Pak. is receiving good response from other countries of the world. Let us hope that funds received there will be properly utilized & monitored!


World News Network.
August 23,2010.